Interior Architecture & Renovation
Interiors shaped by the life they support.
Interior architecture brings a building’s purpose into close contact with daily life. Sound, light, comfort, artwork, and views all influence how a place is inhabited. Renewal begins by understanding the people who call it their own and the qualities they hope to preserve.
At Saint John’s Abbey Monastery, the need for quiet guided the renovation of a home for worship, work, and contemplation. CSNA worked closely with the monastic building committee and campus design review board to understand the community’s wishes.
An account of a pencil being heard from another room made the importance of silence unmistakable. Our response addressed both reverberation in corridors and sound transmission between rooms. Acoustic clouds reduced corridor noise. Reconstructed dividing walls followed recommendations for high sound isolation, with a full-scale room mock-up demonstrating the approach.
The original air-conditioning system needed replacement, but comfort could not come at the expense of silence. CSNA proposed the mechanical approach and worked with an engineer to develop it, paying attention to the routing of air ducts and water-based heating and cooling pipes. New hallway lighting was developed with a lighting specialist.
Updated social and worship spaces, modern insulating windows, and improved views brought new life to the monastery. Original artwork and a special edition of the Saint John’s Bible remained part of the interior experience. The renovation sustained the home’s spirit while changing the conditions of daily life. When the monks returned, the quiet of their rooms was a welcome surprise.
Experience in practice
A monastic community’s need for silence guided acoustic, mechanical, and interior decisions that renewed its home for contemplation.
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Begin with your story
Tell us how your interiors are used, what feels essential to their identity, and what needs to work better. The most useful starting point is the daily life your spaces are intended to support.
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