St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church

Houston, TX

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston approached the Ziegler Cooper Worship Studio and Harvey Builders to work together to design & build a cost-effective sanctuary at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church. The new building was to replace their 60-year-old church, which had been damaged by repeated floods and regular rainwater infiltration. Working closely with the parish Building Committee and Harvey Builders, we utilized a pre-engineered metal building frame and transformed its “barn-like” shape into a more “church-like” form, using traditional massing design and careful brick detailing. Our inspiration drew from the facade of the Abbazia di San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, and the San Gregorio Magno al Celio, Rome, evident in the facade’s superimposition of classical basilican forms and masonry detailing. We also added Flemish bond courses and blue-glazed brick crosses to create detail and indicate sacred interior spaces from the building’s exterior.