Chapel and Conference Center, Wolfforth, Texas

St. Francis Mission Community, Order of St. Francis

The Sisters of St. Francis Conference Center is unique in that it not only caters to adults, but was designed to handle events for children as well. The floor finish in the conference room needed to be flexible, giving a space to teach children one day and provide lunch for visiting Sisters the next. Therefore, the conference space had to be very flexible with ample storage and with easily cleanable surfaces, both of which were top priorities in the schematic phase. Part of the design response involved the adjacent kitchen doors, which can completely hide the service areas from guests.

The chapel design had its own challenges.  The pews are custom made to house the resident Sisters’ study material in the pew backs.  The upholstery is particularly well matched to the color scheme of the entire facility.  The accent of the wall behind the cross, achieved through the use of glass block and a darker paint color with the wing wall to either side, made the wall a stand out.

Taking “center stage” is the beautiful stained glass designed by Berg Studios.  Berg Studios was consulted early in the design process, so the colors of glass were coordinated with the interior paint, upholstery, and carpet, which made for a fluid interior.