Title: Chabad of Cary
Location of Proejct: Morrisville, North Carolina
Project Completion Date: N/A
Firm Name: 310 Architecture and Interiors

Short Description: Chabad - (hā-bād) – Hebrew acronym for Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge.

Chabad of Cary, nestled into a hillside between mixed residential, greenway space, and a collector road consists of three primary volumes atop an organizing base. The primary forms, largest to smallest, contain the sanctuary, operations/support, and kosher kitchens. The base or foundation for these volumes contains the mikvah and classrooms. The Jerusalem limestone volumes frame the lobby and social heart of the building encouraging community gathering and discussion. The sanctuary accommodates religious services, holiday meals and classes while affording views to the forest canopy.

Architect's Statement: The Chabad of Cary has experienced a growth in its congregation. As such, it intends to relocate from its current strip center storefront, aspiring to craft a permanent home and establish their presence as the preeminent Chabad in the southeastern United States. Chabad is an acronym for the Hebrew words Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge. As such, the design team was tasked to envision a Jewish center that inspires worship and education, while bringing together community. The building will house a mikvah (a ritual Jewish bath) and classrooms with access to a play area on its lowest level. Above, on the main entry level, will be three volumes. The first contains a sanctuary space, another houses two kosher kitchens for the preparation of holiday meals and the third contains offices, a conference/library space, and restrooms. Each of these three volumes come together to define a lobby and social hall for community gathering and religious dialogue.

The sanctuary space is sized to accommodate large congregations during high holidays and captures views to the Indian Creek Greenway Park to the north. This placement takes advantage of the topography so that views from the sanctuary and terrace will be of the seasonally changing deciduous canopy emerging from the park downhill. Additionally, the sanctuary space is designed to be flexible enough to accommodate classroom activities or act as a Kiddush space for important meals prepared in the kosher meat and dairy kitchens. A swooping ceiling in the sanctuary is inspired by the tents Israelites inhabited during their forty-year journey through the desert. The ceilings deepest point is centered on the Ark located at the directionally significant east wall. The threshold from the lobby is intentionally deep indicating the importance of the sanctuary space. This depth is utilized for bookshelves and to store folding partitions as well as an assortment of furnishings required for the sanctuary’s various program demands.

In the lobby, a monumental stair flanks the eastern edge along a large exterior glass wall. The stair serves as a connector to the floor below and is positioned such that natural light may enter the heart of the building yet still afford privacy from the busy street activity just outside. A fireplace and skylight center this space and anchor soft seating and low tables where conversations over coffee from the built-in hutch can be shared by members of the congregation. A handwashing basin and memorial placards adorn the wall of the sanctuary.

Jerusalem limestone cladding will be the primary material throughout, defining the three main volumes as an interior and exterior finish. Slate covers the lobby and sanctuary floors with walnut woodwork for permanent furnishings including the sanctuary doors and the deep wall where they are housed. The Torah will be protected in a walnut finished Ark. Granite will clad the fireplace and comprise the handwashing sink basin. The tree of life on the doors of the ark and the menorah on the fireplace will be rendered in brass as well. Wall space for other curated art is located throughout.

The new building for the Chabad of Cary is intended to provide comfort, familiarity, and evoke reflection through warm natural materials and an uncomplicated formal organization. The positioning of the building on the site and the spaces within allow sunlight, sky, and foliage to be significant materials within the spaces, bolstering the guiding design intent to provide a meaningful home for this growing community.