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University of Jamestown Chapel Renovation and Center for Faith and Life
Preserving legacy, creating connection
Client
University of Jamestown
Location
Jamestown, North Dakota
Size
19883 sq ft
Expertise
Cultural, Learning, Resilience
Delivery Method
CMAR
Project Team
Founded by Presbyterian settlers in 1883 – six years before North Dakota was admitted to the union – the University of Jamestown (UJ) holds the distinction of being the first college chartered in the state. Throughout its history, UJ has remained steadfast in its commitment to fostering a well-rounded student experience, integrating academic excellence, athletics, and spiritual development into its core ethos. Jones Studio’s renovation of the historic Voorhees Chapel and design for the new Center for Faith and Life support this holistic educational experience by forging new intersections between spiritual and everyday student life.
The Voorhees Chapel was designed in the Collegiate Gothic style by Dutch architect and then-university president Barend H. Kroeze. It was first completed in 1918, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. By 2022, however, the chapel required modernization to align with the contemporary spiritual needs of the university, while remaining respectful of its illustrious history. Jones Studio’s meticulous renovation honors the chapel’s past rituals while welcoming the school community into a new spiritual paradigm focused on the student experience.
Working closely with university leadership, the firm restored and updated both the main and lower levels of the chapel. On the main level, now-obsolete elements such as the choir balcony above the entry were removed to open up the space, while uncomfortable wooden pews were reused and repurposed into dining tables for a new student café. The elevated stage area at the far end of the sanctuary was replaced with an acoustically engineered shell for speakers and music, and state-of-the-art audio and projection equipment was integrated into the interior architecture, so as to minimize visual noise that might distract from the simplicity of the historic interior. Smooth white surfaces reflect glowing light from unseen, indirect sources, reinforcing the chapel’s identity as a place of spiritual growth and connection for the school community.
The chapel’s lower level, previously relegated to storage, underwent a transformative revival that included the integration of UJ’s School of Character in Leadership. The renovated space now features glass-fronted offices, classrooms of various sizes, and small-group study rooms, as well as a large, central gathering area to accommodate a range of uses. The eastern retaining wall was opened to create an indoor garden terrace that joins this lower-level, student-focused space to the newly added Center for Faith and Life, through terracing that can be used for lecture and event seating. To connect the new addition to the historic structure – a significant design challenge – a once-exterior brick bearing wall became the focal point of this new interior space, with a ceiling structure that emphasizes the shapes of a series of existing stained glass windows.
Emphasizing daylight and natural materials, the new, 8,246-square-foot Center for Faith and Life serves as a vibrant nexus where student life and spiritual exploration seamlessly converge. The new addition links the chapel with the neighboring Badal Nafus Center, which primarily houses the dining hall. The New Center for Faith and Life features a student café and store, a large, open lounge and event space, a terraced lecture space, and an outdoor courtyard from which students and faculty can admire the chapel’s stained glass and historic campus beyond.
The collaborative design effort between UJ leadership and Jones Studio introduces student spaces that are safe and quiet, but still provide visual connection from the lower level all the way through the cafe. Even in the coldest North Dakota winters, the Center for Faith and Life will be a lively hub for student engagement, and offer a place where light and warmth are always present.
