Sunken Sanctuary

The concept of spirituality has influenced an amazingly large portion of what society is today. It presents possible answers for the ever-plaguing question of ‘what happens after we die?’ Finding an answer to that question that one thoroughly believes in brings a certain kind of peace that not everyone will know in their lifetime. That’s why this project strives to accommodate everyone that has pre-existing beliefs, and those who do not. Everyone, no matter their religion, deserves to be at peace, and have a safe space to contemplate their lives and beliefs. To accommodate for everyone, and to create an equitable space for visitors to explore their spirituality, the design choices that were made for this project had to do with balance. Some of the most notable of these design decisions were designing to be partially in ground, but still allowing for a lot of natural light, including ramps with a minimal slope, and not only is this space focused on the experience of visitors that go inside, but this project makes a conscious effort to include views and access to all the elements in the surrounding landscape as well.