St. John’s Episcopal Church

This was the first public commission for Carney Architects, comprising a 13,000 sf facility for a congregation that had outgrown its much-loved 60-seat historic log chapel.  The client challenged the architects to design a 250-seat sanctuary and supporting functions that would integrate seamlessly with the iconic chapel and church offices that were to remain on the premises.

A further challenge to the design was to maintain a large open space facing Jackson's main street, the entrance for travelers coming from the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.  Through the careful placement of buildings and parking, important outdoor space was preserved at the gateway to the community.  This arrangement also suggests a cloistered compound that unifies old and new buildings into a cohesive whole.

While the building embraces the spirit of the past, it is clearly a product of the late 20th century, with a richness unusual in a rustic western church.  Simple materials are used in a structurally complex manner, as in the log scissor trusswork.  In this way the project is an elaboration on the traditional mountain church, resulting in a dynamic and inspiring new place of worship, rather than a pure imitation of the old.