In anticipation of the 70th anniversary of its founding, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church retained the services of Goring & Straja’s design team to create an updated campus master plan. The project is set to include site improvements, renovations to sanctuary and administrative spaces, as well as the design and construction of an entirely new parish hall.

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Located in the Orinda hills, the St. Stephen’s campus is situated on a dynamic site that borders both a wild, native landscape and a bucolic suburban neighborhood. Looking to highlight the natural beauty of the site, while also respecting long-cherished elements of St. Stephen’s facilities and grounds, Goring & Straja developed a proposal focused on enhancing outdoor gathering areas, improving circulation, and establishing a connection between the campus’s facilities and the surrounding landscape.

 

In service of the last goal, the design team reimagined the parish hall as a glassed-in structure with timber trusses. Nestled in a grove of trees this new building will offer expansive views of the surrounding landscape, blurring the line between indoor and outdoor space.