The Refinery at Saddleback Church

The Refinery at Saddleback Church

Lisa Guzman

Located in the heart of Lake Forest, The Refinery at Saddleback Church draws in a mix of young people and fresh faces with its sustainable and innovative design. The Refinery is a 45,000 square foot, two story building that includes a pizzeria, cafe, dining area, a state-of-the-art theatre, game rooms, an 800-seat auditorium, a full court basketball gymnasium, a half-court practice area, three classrooms and a multipurpose room for recreation and business meetings. The exterior of the building itself caught my attention, teal painted rusted steel and red brick covers the walls and found before the entrance a sign reads that the building earned LEED Gold. Of the exterior, a green roof was installed to prevent heat transfer and reduce air conditioning needs which is very efficient in saving cost. Low E glass is used throughout to prevent heat transfer into and out of the building while still allowing daylight to enter the building and reducing the need for artificial light. No stranger to the place, I always find myself amazed by how beautiful the building is and by the details that can be found all throughout the space. Throughout The Refinery, recycled materials used for the construction of the building could be seen. Youth Pastor, Doug Fields and Saddleback Church’s project coordinator, Brian Conner and Saddleback Development’s lead architect and Tim Loza, president and theme designer I believe did a wonderful job in including exposed steel beams and steel wall framing as part of the design, giving the interior space an industrial yet modern look. The beams were rusted and weathered which gave a very raw feel but the blue, yellow, and red walls and painted murals made the place feel cool, lively and inviting. Black barstools used for casual seating throughout the building gave a 60’s vibe mixed with reclaimed wood used for tables and counters.

  

Besides the classrooms, multipurpose rooms and auditorium, the space had an open concept which I love and as a mother, being able to see my child as he runs to play is very important and having an open concept gives that safe feel. Not missing a thing, I was able to stand on second floor and view the entire space of the first floor. To my surprise, the floor I was standing on, on the second floor happened to be made of recycled material as well.

 

When incorporating raw materials such as steel, wood, brick it can be a bit tricky especially when keeping children and young adults in mind but Doug Fields, Brian Conner, and Tim Loza did an absolutely amazing job. It does not feel like you are walking into an abandoned industrial warehouse but more so a fun and exciting place to get together and be in community with others. Kids are able to enjoy themselves and whether it is through video games, basketball, volleyball, shooting pool, or riding their skateboards so much is offered to them and it is apparent that the designers made children their top priority along with keeping the environment in mind.

  

Links

(All photos were shot and edited by myself)

http://saddleback.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIuZ0HAHe7s

http://www.usgbc.org/leed

http://educationcenter.ppg.com/glasstopics/how_lowe_works.aspx

http://www.steelconstruction.info/Recycling_and_reuse

http://saddlebackdevelopment.com/about-us

http://www.greenheck.com/industry/profiles/21