St Gabriel’s Church

Poway, California

Facts and downloads

  • Architect: Hyndman & Hyndman Architecture
  • Location: Poway, California
  • Fellert Area: 300 m² (3,229 ft²)
  • Fellert Installer: The Brady Company, San Diego
  • Type: New construction

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Culture

Spiritual esthetics from days past – modern construction technology

St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church in the small town of Poway in northern San Diego County was built in keeping with the architecture of the Old World, with an exterior reminiscent of a traditional Spanish mission building. But under the shell, the latest construction techniques can be found: green solutions and advanced acoustical systems. And as is often the case when the combination of worship and distinct functionality arises, Fellert was involved.

The challenges were considerable for Hyndman & Hyndman Architecture. The new church was to be in an area with several other buildings and thus form a larger whole. The entire area was also held holy by a tribe of native Americans. Moreover, the esthetic requirements from church leaders were clear: the building would be built with modern techniques but be perceived as having roots in the Old World. This entailed among other things, an interior with extreme demands on the acoustical solutions. There were high ceilings, wood constructions in the ceilings, a discriminating interior and stone floors. Both clarity of speech and reverberation times had to be acceptable both for those in the church’s first pew and in the last. To say the least, this required a special kind of contractor, which Fellert had in The Brady Company. Fellert was awarded the CISCA Gold Award for its acoustical solutions in St. Gabriel’s Church.

Links:
saintgabrielschurch.com
hyndman-hyndman.com
cisca.org

(Photo: Hyndman & Hyndman Architecture)

Top benefits

  • Good acoustical qualities despite demanding interior environments
  • Structures and environments with cultural and historical interest
  • Demands for green solutions