The Congregation had formerly been housed in a historic one-room schoolhouse, which had been adapted into the St John’s in the Mountains Episcopal Church. Tektonika Studio Architects was hired to look into the possibility of renovating and adding onto this building, or to undertake new construction. The existing site was expanded with the acquisition of an adjacent parcel that allowed for Church expansion and an enlarged parking area. After schematic design analysis and cost evaluation, it was determined that a new building would be more cost-effective given the program requirements.

The resulting design incorporated many of the cherished elements of the former Church while doubling the usable square footage, and greatly improving the functionality of the building. The new Church incorporated the required elements of code compliance, including an accessible lift. In addition, the new Church was designed to incorporate state-of-the-art energy conservation measures, including highly efficient heating systems and a superior building envelope system utilizing sprayed foam insulation. These measures resulted in Efficiency Vermont’s highest ratings for air infiltration utilizing blower door testing. Fresh air is introduced into the church with an air-to-air exchange system utilizing heat exchangers.

The interior of the main worship space is enhanced with a natural Douglas Fir open-truss system, which extends up to the multi-sided altar sanctuary space. The transepts provide a space for the choir, additional congregation seating on one side, and the sacristy and vestry on the other. The lower level of the Church provides for the functional aspects of the building, including offices, bathroom, kitchen, and a multi-purpose room.

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