In 2007, the Poomacha wildfire claimed St. Bartholomew’s chapel on the Rincon Reservation in Valley Center, Calif., leaving only the chapel’s bell tower intact. Upon hearing of the loss, nearby resident Kevin deFreitas offered his architectural services. Design and construction began within two months of the fire, with construction handled by Lusardi Construction Co. of San Marcos, Calif. Today, the rebuild is complete and the $3.2 million project resulted in a 3,356-square-foot chapel that seats 140 worshippers—more than twice the capacity of the original.
St. Bartholomew’s is a Roman Catholic chapel built in the 1930s on a site that previously had hosted worship ceremonies in a wood building since the early 1800s. Before that, the tribe worshipped on the bare land. The chapel’s walls employ a traditional, energy-efficient rammed-earth technique, which combines soil from the nearby reservation with cement. Ultimately, the walls can be crushed and returned to the ground. The building is fire-resistant, has drought-tolerant landscaping and nearly all of its light comes through the windows, which are made of recycled metal and steel.
Through the design, deFreitas aimed to marry the Rincon-Luiseno tradition with the Catholic tradition. The chapel’s altar consists of an oak stump from a neighboring tribe’s land, which is particularly symbolic because oak trees were a primary food source for the Rincon people throughout history while the tree symbolizes Christ’s sacrifice. Other new features include a 2,385-square-foot fellowship hall, a full kitchen and a courtyard.
The 5.7-kw solar panel system on standing seam metal roofing, manufactured by Custom-Bilt Metals of Chino, Calif., is a thin-film solar laminate that is directly fused to the standing seam panel; only one penetration was necessary, which was flashed with a pipe flashing boot. Panels are 16 inches wide and are a weathered copper color. San Diego-based Unique Concepts Inc. installed the metal roof and laminate system. The solution can withstand winds up to 160 mph—a necessity in the region prone to severe wind and weather conditions. It also achieves a higher relative efficiency under high temperatures and low light than solar glass for year-round power generation. Although the solar system is not intended to eliminate the electric bill entirely, it will offset the building’s energy usage.