Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church

Boulder, CO

A Seamless Addition Provides Peace within a Busy City for Prayer and Worship

The Boulder Historical Preservation Commission cited this project as the Best Redevelopment and Preservation Project in Boulder in 2000.

The original church was dedicated in 1913 and required a seating increase in the sanctuary while maintaining the architectural integrity and geometry of the original building. The resulting work provided a visually seamless addition.

The campus needed to be expanded. The land, originally owned by the Benedictines, was divided in 1934 between the church and an Abby for the Sisters of St. Walburga. In the mid-90's, the Sisters decided to move their Abby and the church purchased their land and buildings.

The Abby, a Priory and an old adjacent farmstead needed to be transformed into efficient modern structures and a place of peace and prayer created adjacent to a busy highway. This involved some extensive remodeling and the construction of new facilities. A new wastewater treatment plant had to be installed on the property because they could not connect to the city's sewer line.

All church functions were able to continue during construction.