“Lott Barber has provided a level of service that is difficult to get these days. As a Port Royal Tax payer, I say Thank you!”
Mark W. Sutton, LEED AP
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VILLA MARIE SPIRITUAL LIFE CENTER
Savannah, Georgia
Located on the Isle of Hope near Savannah, Georgia, the former St. John’s Center is a 22-acre marshfront retreat center owned by the Catholic Diocese of Savannah. Once a former seminary, the buildings on the property have been neglected over the years and the site is currently unusable. The Diocese hired Lott + Barber to design a redevelopment plan for the property which would preserve the natural beauty of the site and meet the changing needs of the church. Lott + Barber worked with a steering committee, established by the church, to create the vision and redevelopment plan for the property.Savannah, Georgia
The redevelopment plan for the property, renamed Villa Marie Spiritual Life Center, includes a conference center, dining facilities, overnight accommodations, and a new chapel. The plan also incorporates open space to accommodate diverse needs. An active playfield is located adjacent to the conference center; the cottages overlook an informal, passive green; a playground is situated next to the pavilion; and nature trails are intertwined around the property.
Another component of this project included the creation of renderings and additional graphics to enable the Diocese and potential financial donors to envision the possibilities for the site.
In 2006, Lott + Barber was retained to design the first phase of the project. New infrastructure, drives, parking, trails, fields, and dining hall / kitchen facility and pool / pavilion and playground facility are currently planned.
From the initial master planning phase of the project through schematic design, the building committee and the design team were focused on sustainable design. The master plan reflects the sensitivity of the site by locating drives, parking and structures in locations of demolished buildings. The deeper into the site one ventures, the more natural the experience gets until reaching the marsh. Concepts such as water efficiency, water capturing, energy efficiency, solar capturing and renewable resources are built into the current building design. The idea of using these concepts as a teaching tool is very important to the Diocese.
110 EAST PRESIDENT STREET, SUITE 300 (31401) | POST OFFICE BOX 22097 (31403) SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31401 | PHONE: 912.234.5230 | FAX: 866.678.5688