Process Update: Chapel Details, still more site placement (maybe...)

The Chapel has started to take form, and with it a unifying design language for the entirety of the project. I started this process by going back to the fundamental design goal of this project (as well as keeping in mind my personal ones as the architect): the use of expressive light to provide a safe, encouraging, and inspired environment for reflection and introspection. My design inspiration was the below picture from one of the power points we were given (I can't find what bldg. it came from, or who the architect is).


Something about the "line" of glazed glass made the whole experience of prayer really simple to me (my eyes kept following it up and down), and I felt that I could take advantage of that to bring peoples eyes/attention to the alter. The visual effect also is one that creates a very vertical sense to the space, almost as if the ceiling extends into the heavens, and I wanted to create that effect because I felt it fulfills my desire to provide a very inspired space, not one that is dull.

I decided to focus first on the line of glass windows (to bring people to look at the altar), and then design expressive light for the altar itself. The below sketches show my initial ideas in how I thought this might work. The last picture shows additional light wells I was exploring, and have not constructed in my section model (if I will construct them).





My goal would be for people to enter the chapel, look up at the ceiling (because it is much higher than the previous space they were in), follow the line of glass all the way down to the altar, then follow it back up so they're really focusing on the ceiling, and then "turning" to themselves.

The section construction process began in Sketchup (after sketches).


I then built the model originally as shown below.


I later decided that having the light just focused on the altar would help to be focused, but might make the room to dark and scary, so decided to open up slits on both side walls so light can shine down. Below shows the lighting effects.



There was a little modification to the site plan too. The below pics show the two configurations I'm currently considering. I'm also considering moving the side chapel to inside the chapel.