Light ravine
concordia seminary | Clayton, MO38°63’95.4”n -90°31’42.3”w
core studio
fall 2016
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5c946bfffbe0b09c34044dd4eaacab75f1691b8d1ea6ba8bc5d4e42017d3490d/LightRavine_Photo_05.jpg)
Sited in Concordia Seminary Park in St. Louis, the non-denoninational “Light Ravine” Chapel welcomes all, fixating on light as a unifying aspect of spirituality. To understand the power of light, students first created a “device” to alter the quality of natural light, and then performed a rigorous site and light analysis to select a site for the chapel.
refract
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d92ea3d3478186e68129e2a9c836bf56463d7211e4b33c099f68a30f02110653/LightRavine_Drawing_02.jpg)
The Refraction Loom allows the user to control caustics by manipulating modular elements. The Loom is comprised of modules strung through a frame. Held in place at control points, the modules are capable of morphing into two forms: open and closed. When open, the modules disperse refractions, when closed, the refractions are condensed.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/be22f818cdc11d8bed93bdaabffcba139ad08f0d5259e0d7ece93f6006390553/LightRavine_Photo_02.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/157d2b0b006de9abfdd7c107caf978801048d217eb9b5e0337501c1380d59f23/LightRavine_Photo_04.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5437744f2858a2a9ca6fc4c4f8e046c7501c28f3356def03265636926e0774a0/LightRavine_Photo_03.jpg)
sound void
To understand experiential qualities on the site, I mapped tree canopies, acoustics and their effects on a visitor to the park. Cricket chirps, a sound that represents silence, served as a tool to inform the site of the chapel. Preferring dark and warm habitats, crickets chirp loudest in areas that receive both the most intense light and shadow.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f6ead57038a7edf8b2b3a82501faffeb85b9f0600e86e192ec086633db6ad782/LightRavine_Drawing_01.jpg)
The Chapel views light as a universal language – it is a space that allows for reflection through light and dark, sound and silence. The proposed chapel reflects the sensitivity of the site and the nuance of light itself, creating a space of reflection for all.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/71788ec274bc181143f42ab9ee73cb2a6ffd94ca99149d74387dcb9a61f920b5/LightRavine_Photo_06.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/307ebf8e91a5e65cb390fbdd16f5b87a1e3b356e75b8f789318afed189f0eb7c/LightRavine_Photo_05a.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8381302de8552fd438f1452e0f71d0e8256dc4fe914e6a4710c8c225be3a1b8a/LightRavine_Photo_08.jpg)