When a 35-person congregation in Gualala found itself displaced, it found an unlikely new home in a former cable television office. With the Pacific beyond and redwood forests behind, the anonymous interior had little connection to its remarkable setting.
Framestudio worked with the space’s simplicity, using natural materials and Douglas fir slatted paneling to filter coastal light, bring warmth and rhythm to the interior, and reference the forests and timber history of the Northern California coast.
Members of the congregation carried out much of the construction themselves, with details designed to be straightforward to build and economical in means. With a light touch and limited palette, an ordinary commercial space became a contemplative new home for a small community.
