What to do with church properties, many facing dwindling congregations, is an issue across urban America. A team of University of Notre Dame graduate architecture students produced a vision for neighboring Catholic churches in South Bend, Indiana, that is extraordinary and powerful in its visualization. 

The parishes own the eight-acre urban site a few blocks west of downtown, containing two historic churches—St. Patrick’s and St. Hedwig’s. The design shows how underutilized church properties could be transformed into sustainable mixed-use urban infill, developed incrementally over time, using the tax-exempt status of parishes to lower financial barriers. 

"[The] lessons of [this South Bend] project deserve imitation on a broader, even national, scale ...[showing] that what has become underused space can be redeveloped to advance the Church’s mission [under] current conditions,” exclaims John Grondelski, of the National Catholic Reporter.

The plan connects the churches with intimate, human-scale, mid-block streets. “Two development patterns were used in tandem: conventional perimeter-type blocks that restore a typical outer street edge, and small-scale, interior blocks that form a nested, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood,” explains the design team. The interior blocks of smaller-scale buildings were inspired by enduring historic development patterns in cities like Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Bruges, Belgium; and Edinburgh, Scotland.

“By using small-scale, dense infill inside the block, the project demonstrates how large American parcels can be reused and repaired in an efficient, sustainable, and pedestrian-friendly pattern,” the students explain. “Because the existing perimeter streets are large and already cater to vehicles, the project shows how human-scaled streets and spaces can be prioritized without sacrificing use of the car. Using granular building types and streets also allows for canted and inflected blocks and buildings, creating more interesting views, focal points, and shaped public space.” 

The Charter Awards jury was particularly impressed with a video that was produced by the team. The two-minute video shows four seasons effectively, creating movement by panning and zooming through high-quality renderings, with the occasional vehicle or pedestrian added. It feels like a little world of its own. The piano background sets the mood nicely. Take a look:

Despite small-scale buildings and a compact site, the plan allows for 60-100 dwellings, two proposed new civic buildings (elementary school and crafts/trade/building center), 11,000 square feet of ground floor retail, two historic churches, three public squares, and five internal courtyard spaces.

“This project awakens our neighborhood to a higher ideal in meeting its longstanding need for attractive, affordable housing within a few blocks of downtown South Bend. But it does more than that,” notes John Nagy, managing editor of Notre Dame Magazine. “It shows how the local Catholic church can play a creative part in the enterprise as a small-scale developer, simultaneously fulfilling a centuries-old mission of supporting those with limited resources while strengthening its own historic, aesthetic, educational and institutional presence in the city.”

Note: The Charter Awards will be presented in a ceremony on May 16 at CNU 32 in Cincinnati

Revitalization of St. Patrick's and St. Hedwig's Parishes, South Bend, Indiana: 

• Patrick Beck, Design team member
• Sam Usle, Design team member
• Shauni Priyam Sikder, Design team member
• Philip Bess, Professor
• Thomas Dougherty, Anthony Catania, and Brian Mork, Charrette consultants

2023 CNU Charter Awards Jury

• Matthew Bell (chair), Professor, University of Maryland School of Architecture, Principal, Perkins Eastman in Washington, DC
• Diane Jones Allen, Professor, College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington
• David Baker, Principal, David Baker Architects in San Francisco, CA
• Anne Fairfax, Principal, Fairfax & Sammons in New York, NY, and Palm Beach, FL
• C.J. Howard, Principal, C.J. Howard Architecture in Washington, DC
• Neal Payton, Principal, Torti Gallas + Partners in Los Angeles, CA
• Rico Quirindongo, Director, City of Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development