EducationARCHITECT
EducationARCHITECT
Volume 26 Number 5
ADDRESSING THE DESIGN NEEDS OF TODAY'S NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
Incarnation Church
Incarnation Church
Parish Community Hall
Parish Community Hall
Construction is set to begin at the Incarnation Catholic Community in Glendale, California. After many years of planning, a March 1, 2026 Groundbreaking Ceremony marked the official start of work on the new Parish Community Hall.
Bishop Albert M. Bahhuth, Pastor Rodel Balagtas, community dignitaries, and project team members ceremonially turned the first spade of turf during the jubilant Sunday morning event. Parishioners and neighbors gathered to share in the celebration.
Incarnation Parish was established in 1927 by Archbishop John J. Cantwell to serve the growing community of northwest Glendale. The parish began in a former residence on the site of the present-day church. Within these humble surroundings, the first Mass was celebrated on October 30, 1927.
As the parish community grew, its facilities expanded to meet the needs of families and ministries. The parochial school opened in 1937, strengthening the parish's educational mission, and in 1952 the current church was completed, providing a permanent home for worship and parish life.
To address continued growth, Incarnation initiated a campus master plan in the summer of 2001. At that time, parking requirements associated with the proposed Parish Community Hall necessitated a subterranean garage, placing the project beyond the parish's financial reach. The master plan process was reinitiated in 2022, when the adoption of state law AB 2097 eliminated minimum parking requirements and enabled the project to
move forward.
3-D aerial view of Incarnation Parish with proposed new Parish Community Hall. Design by Pica + Sullivan Architects, Ltd.
3-D view of Incarnation Parish with proposed new Parish Community Hall. Design by Pica + Sullivan Architects, Ltd.
The new Parish Community Hall-serving as the cornerstone of campus-wide enhancements is scheduled to open in time for the parish's 100th anniversary on October 30, 2027. Designed as a place of welcome and connection, the project will offer lasting benefits to the community, including a centralized gathering space for events and facilities that will significantly expand and strengthen outreach programs.
The proposed 8,500-square-foot Parish Community Hall building was designed by Pica + Sullivan Architects. The design and engineering team includes Johnson Leifield Structural Engineers; LFA Civil Engineers; Carter Romanek Landscape Architects; and project manager AK3 Consulting. Heydorff Construction Services, Inc. was selected as the General Contractor.
Located at the heart of the campus, the new Parish Community Hall will serve as both a gathering place and a symbol of parish life. The stucco and brick exterior reflects the character of the existing campus, while the building's carefully considered scale ensures architectural harmony. A covered arcade along the east and south façades will welcome visitors, inviting them to pause, linger, and connect.
The arcade opens onto a new court and garden on the east side of the Parish Community Hall, creating a vibrant outdoor setting for parish and community activities. Former asphalt parking areas will be transformed into a welcoming landscape featuring drought-tolerant planting, a pergola, seating areas, and shade trees along the Brand Boulevard frontage.
The new Parish Community Hall-serving as the cornerstone of campus-wide enhancements is scheduled to open in time for the parish's 100th anniversary on October 30, 2027. Designed as a place of welcome and connection, the project will offer lasting benefits to the community, including a centralized gathering space for events and facilities that will significantly expand and strengthen outreach programs.
The proposed 8,500-square-foot Parish Community Hall building was designed by Pica + Sullivan Architects. The design and engineering team includes Johnson Leifield Structural Engineers; LFA Civil Engineers; Carter Romanek Landscape Architects; and project manager AK3 Consulting. Heydorff Construction Services, Inc. was selected as the General Contractor.
Located at the heart of the campus, the new Parish Community Hall will serve as both a gathering place and a symbol of parish life. The stucco and brick exterior reflects the character of the existing campus, while the building's carefully considered scale ensures architectural harmony. A covered arcade along the east and south façades will welcome visitors, inviting them to pause, linger, and connect.
The arcade opens onto a new court and garden on the east side of the Parish Community Hall, creating a vibrant outdoor setting for parish and community activities. Former asphalt parking areas will be transformed into a welcoming landscape featuring drought-tolerant planting, a pergola, seating areas, and shade trees along the Brand Boulevard frontage.
Groundbreaking Ceremony for the new Incarnation Parish Community Hall. Project Design by Pica + Sullivan Architects. Photograph by Randall Michelson Photography.
On the west side of the building, two new special-use classrooms will support the Elementary School, strengthening connections between both sides of the campus. Together, the Parish Community Hall and its surroundings will bring energy to the campus, fostering connection and community for parishioners and students alike.
The Parish Community Hall design incorporates numerous sustainability features, including the use of recycled materials, a state-of-the-art HVAC system, enhanced insulation to reduce heat gain and loss, and abundant natural daylight throughout. The landscape design employs Low Impact Development strategies to collect and infiltrate stormwater into the aquifer, helping restore natural hydrology.
Designed with sensitivity to campus character, a strong emphasis on community life, and full adherence to Glendale's development standards, the project will enhance an important local cultural institution and the surrounding neighborhood.
As noted by Pastor Balagtas, "We are excited about this wonderful project. The new Parish Community Hall represents a symbol of faith, community and shared purpose."
On the west side of the building, two new special-use classrooms will support the Elementary School, strengthening connections between both sides of the campus. Together, the Parish Community Hall and its surroundings will bring energy to the campus, fostering connection and community for parishioners and students alike.
The Parish Community Hall design incorporates numerous sustainability features, including the use of recycled materials, a state-of-the-art HVAC system, enhanced insulation to reduce heat gain and loss, and abundant natural daylight throughout. The landscape design employs Low Impact Development strategies to collect and infiltrate stormwater into the aquifer, helping restore natural hydrology.
Designed with sensitivity to campus character, a strong emphasis on community life, and full adherence to Glendale's development standards, the project will enhance an important local cultural institution and the surrounding neighborhood.
As noted by Pastor Balagtas, "We are excited about this wonderful project. The new Parish Community Hall represents a symbol of faith, community and shared purpose."
Pica + Sullivan Architects, Ltd.
Specialize in master planning, architectural design, interior design and project management for non-profit organizations, including Pre-K through 12th grade independent and faith-based schools, religious institutions, and other mission-driven service organizations. In the more than 35 years of existence, the firm has completed over 1,000 projects.
Our approach includes hands-on principals who are involved throughout the project; flexible and responsive staff who have a long history with the firm; value-engineering sensibilities where the cost-benefit is considered throughout; contextual approach to design where an architecture appropriate for the setting is developed for each client; understanding of the non-profit client as a multi-faceted group of constituents; and most importantly multiple projects with most clients which demonstrates the level of confidence and trust that is placed in our firm.