When a 35-person congregation in Gualala found itself displaced, an unlikely new home presented itself: a former cable television office in a modest commercial space. With the Pacific just beyond and redwood forests at its back, the anonymous interior had little connection to the remarkable landscape surrounding it.
Rather than disguise the space, Framestudio worked with its existing simplicity, using a restrained palette of natural materials to give it warmth and identity. Douglas fir slatted paneling filters the strong coastal light while bringing rhythm and a sense of enclosure to the interior. The material makes a quiet reference to the forests nearby and to the timber industry that shaped this part of the Northern California coast.
The project was a collaborative effort, with members of the congregation carrying out much of the construction themselves. Details were designed accordingly: straightforward to build, economical in means and carefully considered.
With a light touch and a limited material palette, an ordinary commercial space became something more contemplative — and a new home for a small community.
