All Saints Presbyterian Church

All Saints Presbyterian Church is a Christian campus consisting of administrative offices, classrooms, a preschool, a chapel, and an interim sanctuary. Connected by covered patios, the programs are spread across a series of single-story structures totaling 30,000 square feet. Currently under construction, the second phase will consist of a permanent sanctuary with capacity for nearly 900 people.

As Austin’s population has increased, real estate prices in the city center have skyrocketed. Thousands of people seek more affordable homes farther afield, so the suburbs around the city have increased demand for everyday infrastructure: schools, offices, shopping centers, recreational facilities, and places of worship. Tucked into the suburban fabric overtaking the rolling Hill Country landscape, All Saints Presbyterian Church exemplifies the use of local materials and vernacular architectural forms to establish a sense of place.

Approaching the church, the most noticeable aspect is how new its surroundings look: whole neighborhoods, complete with parks and playgrounds, have seemingly sprung from the ground overnight. Meanwhile, there are remnants of the Hill Country landscape scattered about in the form of rocky outcrops, rolling topography, and the occasional undeveloped tract. Within this context, the campus for All Saints draws on methods of construction associated with the Texas vernacular—gable roofs, exposed steel, and limestone masonry—filtered through a contemporary lens to create a campus that feels traditional, while meeting the needs of a modern congregation. The exteriors are characterized by limestone and plaster walls, metal canopies, and smooth-formed concrete. Recurring elements include punched openings, chamfered corners, and thin steel window sills and shades. In several areas, the plaster walls are washed with sunlight from cutouts in the patio roofs.

At the center of the campus is a grassy courtyard flanked by concrete columns and live oak trees. From the parking lot, the view northward will eventually terminate in a large, limestone-clad church; for the time being, an interim sanctuary (on the right) is marked by a tall spire capped by a thin steel cross. To the left is a small limestone chapel surrounded by classrooms and a playground. The temporary sanctuary, which will one day serve as the parish’s social hub, is accessed through a bright entry hall. Its form is a contemporary interpretation of the ancient Roman basilica (itself the model for the earliest Christian churches): a rectangular footprint featuring a central nave flanked by narrower side aisles, with a raised roof over the nave to allow for high clerestory windows to admit natural light into the space. At the far end, a round window hovers like a halo above the altar.

The details within the sanctuary are particularly notable. Slender steel columns are joined to the roof beams with clean, exposed connections. The primary structure is braced by steel rods that come together at expressive round joints. Mechanical and fire protection systems are carefully integrated into the design. The high level of restraint and execution results in minimal visual intrusion, which in turn allows the congregation to focus its energy and attention on the act of devotion. Large sliding glass walls allow the space to open up to the central courtyard, which may be used as outdoor overflow seating. In the grand tradition of fine craftsmanship in religious spaces, furnishings fabricated by local artisans include the altar, pulpit, and baptismal font. – Bud Franck, AIA