St. Bernard construction underway

NORTH KINGSTOWN – Construction is underway on St. Bernard Roman Catholic Church’s new $4.5 million church in Wickford, with a June 2009 completion date set.
The 12,500-square-foot church is on a 12-acre site in Wickford.
“What was important to us was designing a building that fit in with the particular architecture of Wickford,” Michael Viveiros, project architect with Durkee, Brown, Viveiros & Werenfels Architects Inc., said in a recent interview. “The site is actually the Davis property – it had been a farm for a long, long time. So we wanted a design that was sensitive to that.”
He added that the design of the church, which will have seating for 550, was influenced by “simple rural churches and by barn structures, so it’s a little old and a little new.”
The church is sited at the corner of Ten Rod Road and Tower Hill Road, with its front doors facing away from Ten Rod Road.
“What that does is, it actually opens up a very nice entrance sequence from Tower Hill Road,” Viveiros said. “Now, when you see the church from Tower Hill Road, it’s essentially up on the hill, with a very nice view and entry road. … You get this nice vista and the bell tower is then prominent in your view.”
A roughly 10,000-square-foot parish center is also planned for the site, Viveiros said.
The church is relying in part on the sale of its current church and parish center, at 415 Tower Hill Rd., to pay for the project, according to Viveiros’ firm.
“We’re going to have to settle for less than we had planned,” church steering committee Chairman Tom Orsi said in a statement, “but we have a fine group of buildings in a nice community in a busy location, so this should help.”
Durkee, Brown, Viveiros & Werenfels Architects Inc., founded in 1994, has roughly 30 employees. The Providence-based firm specializes in smart growth and sustainable design. For more information, visit www.DurkeeBrown.com.
For additional information about the current or future St. Bernard Roman Catholic Church in North Kingstown, visit www.SBCWickford.org.