St. Ann’s, the Catholic Parish of Penticton has experienced reduced attendance and holds unused properties. Its school, located on its more central site is excellent but cannot accommodate all of the students from diverse backgrounds that are applying.

Like many catholic parishes in canada st. ann's is experiencing an increase in the value of its properties but a reduction of incoming revenue. The parish owns two church buildings, st. ann's and st. john vianney, as well as the buildings for the holy cross school, on sizeable lands.

The two churches are old, large, far from energy efficient, and expensive to maintain. a single, modern church building would probably be sufficient for the congregation in a small city like penticton. 

holy cross school shares a large parcel of land with st. ann's church and currently serves grades k-8. it grew over many decades through the incremental addition of components as required by the increasing enrolment and is now probably close to the end of its useful service life. a small gymnasium is the youngest addition, it is in reasonably efficient condition with the exception that it is much too small for tournaments.

Our study proposed to consolidate the parish's buildings on the property of holy cross school and st. ann's church. the st. john vianney property could eventually be sold to partially finance the project.

Revenue could be used to fund reconstruction of the church so it may encourage attendance of mass, but also so it could be used as a concert and events hall within walking distance of downtown. 

We designed stages for the redevelopment of the school without interrupting educational activities, its enlargement to include grades 9-12, and a final addition of a regulation size gymnasium. subsequent stages would be a replacement of the existing parish offices and rectory, addition of some subsidized seniors' housing, and finally a new church building.

The new church  could be a welcome landmark, meeting point and venue for civic activities in a part of main street now dominated by a parking lot and shopping center.

Organizations like the Catholic church are showing a willingness to adapt their practices. Rethinking the public spaces could support and comfort us as we make the radical transition necessary for our rapidly changing world.

the following series of images will illustrate the concept and proposed staging.

1. the location of the parish's two downtown properties: St. John Vianney in the North East, St. Ann's and Holy Cross School in the South East

2. the site proposed for the consolidation of the parish's buildings on Main Street, with a major shopping center to the South West

3. the present buildings on the property: church and rectory west, facing Main Street, Holy Cross school and small gym east across a large central parking lot

4. phase 1: replacement of the existing academic facilities without affecting the continuing school operation

5. the existing classrooms are demolished to make room for the completion of the school project

6. phase 2: expansion of the school capacity to include K9-12, in two tiers

7. phase 3: construction of a regulation size gymnasium that would enable tournaments

8. Holy Cross school redevelopment and expansion completed, the original school has been completely removed

9. a cut away roof view to illustrate the holy cross school complex's organization

10. phase 4: parish offices and rectory replacement, with some subsidized seniors' housing on the second floor

11. demolition of existing church and parish offices

12. phase 5: replacement of existing church completed

13. a cut away roof view of the new church. the vertical fins can be rotated to accommodate various acoustical and lighting requirements. A via crucis surrounds the sanctuary outside of the arrays of these fins. electrochromic glazing adjusts in accordance with the building's mechanical controls to minimize cooling loads in summer, while allowing welcome heat gain in winter

14. the main street view with the electrochromic glazing in dark mode

15. the morning sun creates a calm and solemn mood at the South East entrance

16. the interior of the new church looking west

17. a view down the via crucis behind the altar

18. a covered walkway can connect and unify the completed development

19. the square at the Main Street side of the church forms an inviting civic space

20. the completed development