The Architecture of Eco-Theology: Towards a New Typology for Christian Sacred Space

This paper will begin by exploring the underlying scriptural and theological foundations for a Christian response to the ecological crisis with particular focus on the writings of cultural historian, Father Thomas Berry, CP. It will then describe the first worship space in Canada that attempts to embody the emergent “Eco-theology” to invoke both the transcendental and imminent presence of the divine by reconsidering every design decision from first principles. As articulated in its architecture, the traditional elements of Roman Catholic sacred space have been re-imagined and given unique expression to emphasize that when we gather for Christian worship, we do so within the greater context of creation. St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish church therefore represents a distinctly new typology for Christian Worship that contributes towards an understanding of early scriptural teachings which emphasized the sacredness of all creation and not just the sacredness of humankind. The new building as sacred space presents a “Gestalt whole”, and like the medieval cathedrals of Europe, becomes itself a form of Catechetical pedagogy, engaging the senses, demanding reflection, and inviting transformation.

Religious Attitude of the Muslim Community of Lombok Island in the Covid-19 Pandemic Season

The Covid-19 pandemic has an impact on changes in the human lifeline, including the pattern of worship of religious people at large. Religious practices that are carried out regularly and implemented in special places are undergoing a shift. The practice of communal worship involving many worshippers is limited at home by involving people who are also limited. This article aims to explain the shift in the way of worship of the people of Lombok Island related to the Covid-19 that hit the world today. The study also exposed a new form of habit in Muslim religious practices due to the pandemic on Lombok island. This article shows that changes in worship patterns are the result of emergencies and the choice to continue to carry out their duties as devout believers. The limitations of the worship space are avoided by adjusting it to government policy. Policies regarding social distancing and adherence to health protocols are an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. In a religious context, it is part of a life-saving effort so it must be obeyed. The new normal requires Muslims to conform and change new habits (new habitus) in carrying out religious practices (prayers). For example, there is a shaf distance, wearing a mask, bringing prayer mats and other equipment needed when praying in the mosque, preparing hand sanitizer in each house of worship, and routinely checking the body temperature of worshippers visiting the mosque and always referring to health protocols guided by Maqosid Assyariah.

Islamic Values in Muslim Housing Griya Sakinah Residence and Influence on the Behaviour of Its Residents

The development of housing that carries Islamic values has grown rapidly in the last 10 years in line with the increasing economic potential and awareness of Muslims to get a conducive environment for families, making developers build housing with Islamic concepts. This study aims to determine Islamic values that are embodied in the area, housing units and determine their influence on the behavior of its inhabitants. The research method used is descriptive analytical, namely revealing facts on objects in the present time. The results showed that the Griya Sakinah Muslim housing applied Islamic values to the area, facilities and housing units, namely the Hablumminallah in the form of a mosque which functions as a worship space and socialization space for residents of housing and local residents. The value of Hablumminannas is manifested in the construction of public facilities in the area and Hablumminalalamien is manifested in the construction of gardens in housing and the form of residential units with tropical architectural concepts in accordance with the local climate and environment. What has not been noticed is the value of death reminders in the form of tombs for residential residents. The new thing found in this study is the role of mosques to overcome social segregation in housing areas with cluster concept and further research needed about hijab in Islamic settlement.

Comparative Review of Worship Spaces in Buddhist and Cistercian Monasteries: The Three Temples of Guoqing Si (China) and the Church of the Royal Abbey of Santa Maria de Poblet (Spain)

Although the two parallel architectural forms, Han Buddhists and the Cistercian monasteries, seem, on the surface, to be very different—belonging to different religions, different cultural backgrounds, and different ways of construction—they share many similarities in the internal institutional model of monks’ lives and the corresponding architectural core values. The worship space plays the most significant role in both monastic life and layout. In this study, the Three Temples of Guoqing Si and the Church of the Royal Abbey of Santa Maria de Poblet are used as examples to elucidate the connotations behind the architectural forms, in order to further explore how worship spaces serve as an intermediary between deities, monks, and pilgrims. Based on field research and experience of monastic life, this comparative study highlights two fundamental similarities between the Three Temples and the Church: First, both worship spaces are derived from imperial prototypes, have a similar priority of construction, occupy the most important place in both sacred venues, and both serve as a reference for the development of monastic layout. Second, both worship spaces are composed of a similar programmed functional layout, including similar space dominators as well as itineraries. Beyond the surface similarities, this article further analyzes the reasons behind the three differences found. Due to their different understanding of deities, both worship spaces show different ways of worship, images of deities, and distances towards them.

Active Environmental Control Strategies for Brick Historical Buildings, Combining Heritage Conservation and Thermal Comfort

For historical buildings, it is a challenge to utilize HVAC system to improve the thermal comfort within a reasonable range without increasing the risk of deterioration. This research selected a traditional temple building located in Hubei Province, China, aiming to clarify the impact of different operation modes of heating systems on the preservation status of the building, and to further propose reasonable active environmental control strategies. A two-dimensional hygrothermal model of the temple building was established and used to evaluate the influence of different heating parameters, operation schedules, and ventilation strategies on heritage conservation and thermal comfort with the application of floor heating. The main conclusions are as follows: for Honghua Temple, low-level heating at 16 °C with conventional ventilation or heating at 18°C with enhanced ventilation is the preferred solution; enhanced ventilation mode can reduce the risk of mold growth while satisfying the convenience of using the Buddha worship space; for intermittent heating in winter, preheating the system is necessary, and maintaining a low heating level at night is more conducive compared with shutting down the system directly; the impact of evaporation increasing caused by heating should be weighed in active environmental control.

Historically Based Room Acoustic Analysis and Auralization of a Church in the 1470s

Worship space acoustics have been established as an important part of a nation’s cultural heritage and area of acoustic research, but more research is needed regarding the region of northern Europe. This paper describes the historical acoustics of an important abbey church in Sweden in the 1470s. A digital historical reconstruction is developed. Liturgical material specific to this location is recorded and auralized within the digital reconstruction, and a room acoustic analysis is performed. The analysis is guided by liturgical practices in the church and the monastic order connected to it. It is found that the historical sound field in the church is characterized by the existence of two distinct acoustical subspaces within it, each corresponding to a location dedicated to the daily services of the monastical congregations. The subspaces show significantly better acoustic conditions for liturgical activities compared to the nave, which is very reverberant under the conditions of daily services. Acoustic transmission from the two subspaces is limited, indicating that the monastic congregations were visually and acoustically separated from the visitors in the nave and each other.

An Acoustic Survey of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris before and after the Fire of 2019

The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris is amongst the most well-known worship spaces in the world. Its large volume, in combination with a relatively bare stone construction and marble floor, leads to rather long reverberation times. The cathedral suffered from a significant fire in 2019, resulting in damage primarily to the roof and vaulted ceiling. Despite the notoriety of this space, there are few examples of published data on the acoustical parameters of this space, and these data do not agree. Archived measurement recordings from 1987 were recovered and found to include several balloon bursts. In 2015, a measurement session was carried out for a virtual reality project. Comparisons between results from these two sessions show a slight but significant decrease in reverberation time (8%) in the pre-fire state. Measurements were recently carried out on the construction site, 1 year since the fire. Compared to 2015 data, the reverberation time significantly decreased (20%). This paper presents the preliminary results of these measurements, providing a documentation of the acoustics of this historic worship space both prior to and since the 2019 fire.