A New Catholic Church: This project was to construct a new Catholic church combining two smaller parishes in southern Maine.

Program features included a worship space seating approximately 500 people, baptistery, sanctuary, reconciliation chapel, stations of the cross, sacristy, narthex, bride’s/meeting room, restrooms, and other support space. The building was master-planned for the construction of a later addition to the building that would include a parish hall and classroom space. Under a separate contract, a modular home was constructed on the site to serve as a rectory. The project also included parking and drop off areas for the building.

The project was notable for several reasons:

• The church was designed according to Vatican II requirements and included the baptistery at the entrance to the church, a side platform for the tabernacle, and for the reservation of the Host, but it had more traditional pew seating facing the sanctuary wall.
• Because the church facility was constructed to combine two different parishes into one new united congregation, careful discussion with representatives from both parishes was required to make sure that all were happy with the new building.
• The roof structure of the new building includes laminated wood structural members.
• The design for this church incorporated stained glass windows rescued from another building. Each window was funded by a parishioner. Future windows may be added as they become available.
• The pews for this church were repurposed from another church.
• The building was constructed in a rural agrarian setting and takes its design cues from carpenter gothic architecture. Its massing includes barn-like forms reminiscent of adjacent vernacular farm architecture.

The total Construction Cost for the project was approximately $2,600,000, delivered under a traditional design-bid-build contract.

Carter Architectural Design staff led, managed, and designed this project while employed at WBRC Architects/Engineers.