Page 40 - ArchitectureDC_Spring2015

The campus of the Calcagnini
Contemplative Center, with the chapel
at left and the dining hall at right.
designed houses in rural Shenandoah settings, including
one with a big fieldstone fireplace that particularly
appealed to Brangman, and also some unusual projects that
one might categorize as “places for thoughtful interaction,”
including Hodgson House and Conversation Garden at
St. John’s College in Annapolis, and the non-profit AED
Conference Center carved from a parking garage in DC.
Moreover, Dynermans’s portfolio reflected a broad
spectrum of stylistic approaches. “I’m ‘old school,’ I
suppose, in that I’m interested in making spaces where
human interactions are ennobled,” he said, adding that
no single school of architectural thought has cornered the
market on such ennobling.
Dynerman met Arthur Calcagnini and his wife Nancy
and learned of their ideas for what, at that time, was to be
a $2.5 million venture. “Buildings like this are acts of
charity,” noted Dynerman. “They are expressions of loyalty
[of alumni] and the best intentions and aspirations of
people.” Immediately realizing that the budget and
aspirations did not match, Dynerman did a feasibility
study that priced out at $6.5 million. That was a big
38 ADVANCED RETREAT
jump, but the Calcagninis understood the rationale for
the larger budget, according to Dynerman. “They got it,
they loved it, they funded it.”
The resultant complex, which was dedicated in 2013,
consists of a series of one-story buildings loosely wrap-
ping courtyards. The eastern courtyard is open on one
side to views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is mostly
framed by non-residential components of the program—
the Dining Hall and Community Center. The western
courtyard, in contrast, is mostly enclosed, with slot views
of the surrounding woods and meadows through breaks
between the buildings. It is surrounded on three sides by
the residential “cabins” and, on the fourth, by the
Community Center.
An interdenominational chapel is carefully positioned
to create a third courtyard—the Entrance Court—where it
engages the other uses but remains a bit apart. Glimpses
of it can be seen from most of the rest of the complex, but
the views are narrow, restricted, even a touch mysterious
at times. In contrast, the Community Center, positioned
among the three courtyards, is clearly seen. This site