Living Water Family Fellowship
Varitone Architecture designed this community center and church campus off the McKenzie River in the rural community of Blue River, Oregon. The original church and several campus buildings were destroyed in the Holiday Farm Fire. The Fellowship’s vision is to rebuild its campus as the heart of the community with a new church and critically needed facilities for the Blue River area. Beyond the church, spaces will include a daycare center, civic auditorium and meeting rooms, commercial grade kitchen, counseling offices, and outdoor recreation areas for day visitors.
Security and serenity are fundamental drivers of the design. An auditorium with large windows look out onto landscaped areas, offering a sense of being surrounded by nature during worship and presentations. It sits at the center of the building and provides secure yet flexible access for each user group. The classroom wing is secure during the week for the daycare and can be opened on the weekends to accommodate the education needs of the church. The counseling offices double as offices for the church and have a more private secondary entrance.
The building design fits within the rural, wooded landscape. The exterior features river rock, rustic wood-look fiber cement siding, and a standing seam metal roof, lending a rustic and welcoming feel to the building while mitigating the risk of future wildfires. Open wood trusses frame the inviting front porch and offer views to the river and Thor’s Hammer – a geological feature southwest of the site.
The landscape design creates an oasis of outdoor spaces for the community and fellowship that gradually transitions from active recreation areas to more tranquil and private spaces at the back of the property. A serenity pathway starts at a sculpture of praying hands carved from the remains of a scorched tree and wanders through the property. An outdoor terraced amphitheater is located adjacent to the auditorium, with a landscaped swale as a backdrop for the stage.
The project is currently being designed.