grace in built form

7/31/2019 Grace in Built Form

1/48 THE LIVING CHURCH September 23, 2012

By Richard J. Mammana, Jr.

Incarnation Center in Ivoryton, Connecticut, grewoutof a late 19th-century fresh air ministry of theChurch of the Incarnation, Manhattan. From its begin-

nings in the summer of 1886 in a rented farmhouse on

Mohegan Lake, New York, it served the children of

recent immigrants, affording them an opportunity to

experience rural American life. Incarnation moved to

Ivoryton in 1929 and its ministry has now flourishedthrough three centuries. Today, Incarnation Center

offers conference facilities all year

long, a traditional summer camp

supported by the Diocese of New

York and parishes in the Diocese of

Connecticut, Elderhostel activities,

and a wide range of year-round

nature programs on a wooded

property close to the Connecticut

River and Long Island Sound.

The most recent chapter in the

life of Incarnation Center began with the consecration

on June 9 of a new chapel, designed in its architects

words to be large enough to create a place for every-

one at camp and visiting groups to assemble, sing, and

perform in a variety of expressions. It seats up to 320

children or 240 adults, and embraces an impressive

2,300 square feet on the shore of Lake Mohegan.

Theconstructionphase,from groundbreaking to con-

secration, took just three months in early 2012, allow-

ing for use of the chapel throughout this years peakcamping season. All engineering and design services

were donated.

I spokerecently with award-winning

architect Duo Dickinson a camper

at Incarnation in 1964 and 1965

about his work on this project. Dick-

inson, properties chair at Trinity

Church on the Green in New Haven,

began hisown architectural practice in

1987. The New York Times has

described his building and design phi-

Grace in Built Form

All engineering

and design services

for Incarnation

Center were

donated.


2/4September 23, 2012 THE LIVING CHURCH 9

losophy in succinct terms: Design it small, make it as

beautiful as possible and practice every trick in the

book to keep it as cheap as possible. Dickinson is a reg-

ular newspaper columnist, lecturer, and blogger on

architectural matters (savedbydesign.wordpress.com).

His most recent book is Staying Put: Remodel Your

House To Get the Home You Want (Taunton Press,

2011).

How does your new design relate to the previouschapel?

The new chapel replaces a structure built well over 50

years ago and refurbished 20 years ago. Rather than

ignoring the legacy of the original chapel, the design

incorporates the original sign and cross, but most sig-

nificantly, the exactshape of the original chapel is repli-

cated as the central crowning roof form. The earlier

chapel measured 600 square feet, so the new chapel is

almost four times the size. The altar area/deck is an

additional 450 square feet.

An interview with Duo Dickinson, Architect

(Continued on next page)


3/410 THE LIVING CHURCH September 23, 2012

You have mentioned that you drew inspiration for

the new chapel from barn design.

The trusses are field-ganged rot-proof stock dimen-sional lumber yellow pine, and thus have the raw andrough-hewn sensibility of a barn. The angled shroudsthat protect the interior steelcolumns from theweatherare wrought of the same material. Just like a barn, therewill be some warping, checking and rough edges. Butalso like a barnthe new chapel is comfortable inits ownskin, and engineered to weather well over the longterm.

What made the chapel design and construction

process different from your work for non-reli-

gious clients?

I have designed about500 homes for private clients overthe last 30 years, but from the start at least 20 percentof the work of our firm has been dedicated topro bonoor at-cost work for not-for-profits, so the budget con-straints presented by this project were familiar. With atight budget of $180,000,our single goal was toaccommodate the entiresleep-away camp popula-tion under one roof forworship at the same time.Paul Torcelliniof WaverlyConstruction, Scott Erric-son of E2 engineers, andmy office spent the bet-ter part of a year in per-mitting, budgeting, andplanning to make thisprocess come together in the nick of time within thespecified budget. For me, the result was a vibrant andexpressive wood-wrought celebration of the site, thecamp, and of the Holy Spirit.

What about other factors in design that would set

a chapel for campers apart from other building

projects?

My personal history of learning to canoe and camphere almost 50 years ago, and having designed about adozen other projects at Incarnation over the last 25years, as well as sitting on its board, created a host ofintermingling imperatives. It was very important to meto have specifications for this project that requiredzero maintenance for the staff of the center goingforward. This means the structure will resist the ravagesof weather, rust, graffiti,andregular wear from use. ButI also wanted to convey in built form the deep sense of

If what I haveto offer leveragesa greater good

then myindebtednesscreatesabundance.

Grace in Built FormAn interview with Duo Dickinson, Archite

(Continued from previous page)


4/4September 23, 2012 THE LIVING CHURCH 11

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grace I feel every day of my life. That

sense informs everything I design, but

overtly so here.

How was this project important toyou as a Christian and as someone

whose spiritual life was formed in

the camp chapel?

All of ourpro bono work serves as an

acknowledgment that everything we

have has been given to us. If what I

have to offer leverages a greater good

then my indebtedness creates abun-

dance. The abundance provided by a

dedicated camp staff, a generous

group of donors of treasure and talent,

and, most importantly, the grace of

God that passes all understanding cre-

ated the miracle by the lake that is the

new Chapel of the Incarnation.

What kind of longevity do you envi-

sion for the new chapel?

We sought to design this as a zero

maintenance facility:everysurface can

be sanded back to its base condition,

and every piece of metal is stainless.

Scott Erricsons structural design

resists hurricane-force winds and

heavy snows.Although lightin coun-

tenance, this building aims to be

around for the long haul.

Have you heard anything from

campers or other worshipers in

this first season of the chapels

use? What do they think of it?

I have witnessed it. We need to add 10

more pews (all under the roof line)

because they adore the space.Thefirst

wedding is in September of two camp

alums. One more reason for belief in ahigher power is that the acoustics,

completely undesigned, are remark-

able. Beyond the new pews, perma-

nent lighting will be provided once

funds are secured, and we hope to

build a sacristy shed as well.

Richard J. Mammana, Jr., a recent

graduate of Yale Divinity School, is

founder and director of Project Can-

terbury (anglicanhistory.org).

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