St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church

St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church came to us after a failed attempt to relocate to a new campus. They faced a challenge of establishing a renewed spirit in the midst of anguish. The new church reflects New Mexico and provided the needed spiritual foundation for the community.

The design solution allowed them to stay on their current campus and used their perceived restraints as a way to create a better environment. The existing church was converted into a fellowship hall and a new courtyard was created between the new church, the fellowship hall and the offices.

The church was designed away from the street allowing for better views of the church from the street and reducing the impact of negative street noise. A highlight and joy for the parishioners was the relocation of existing treasured stained glass windows. In contrast to the richly colored stained glass windows, a clear glass window separates the sanctuary from gathering-narthex. This glass wall offers vignettes of the altar, baptismal font, chancel, and congregation. The baptismal font uses a hand-crafted rock formation with water flowing into the lower pool to symbolize the living water of baptism. The altar reredos is a sculptured adobe wall that supports a nine-foot cross. Parishioners love their new spiritual home proclaiming that the new church “renews our spirit and allows us to be better stewards of God’s resources”.

Location:  Albuquerque, NM

Awards:      Environmental Planning Award of Excellence – 1998 City of Albuquerque