Saint Vincent de Paul Parish
Rogers, ArkansasSaint Vincent de Paul Parish is located in the rapidly developing corner of northwest Arkansas. The regions growth is fueled by an influx of retirees, attracted by the rugged beauty of the Ozark's, and the success two locally based corporations - Walmart and Tyson Foods. The program calls for a 1400 seat worship space, worship support, and parish support facilities. The site is on one half of a large city block. The other half block contains the existing parish elementary school and the existing parish church. The community wanted the new building to reflect the vernacular architecture of the Ozarks, be welcoming to a growing Hispanic and Asian communities, and in physical form proclaim the presents of this Catholic community. The solution divides the program into three elements. An outside festival and entry courtyard welcomes the parishioners from parking areas to the north and east. The inwardly focused urban courtyard is surrounded by an open colonnade and enclosed by simple parish support structures, an organization reminiscent of an Ozark dogtrot. An internal gathering space joins the courtyard with the second major program element, the Worship space. A full ambulatory surrounds the community seating arrangement and links several major and minor perimeter chapels. The ambulatory ends at the Eucharistic Chapel. A major garden and water feature lies to the west of the worship space.