Shellbourne is a Catholic retreat and conference center located on a heavily wooded property near Valparaiso, Indiana. The existing facility was constructed in the 1960’s and includes six buildings that provide classrooms, chapels, common areas, support spaces, and lodging for priests, staff, and up to seventy retreatants; however, the facility lacked sufficient dining space, priests’ quarters, and kitchen facilities to effectively serve multiple retreat groups at the same time. JNKA designed this two-story addition to address these issues by providing a second dining room, an upgraded and expanded commercial kitchen, and a priests dining room on the first floor; and the second floor provides additional bedrooms, meeting spaces, private chapels, and an exterior roof terrace to better accommodate priests who serve the retreats. The project scope also included a new parking lot for priests and a service drive for deliveries and easier access to the kitchen facilities. The exterior design provides a seamless extension of existing forms, materials, and masonry details, and the new dining room features a cathedral ceiling with exposed glu-lam beams, clerestory windows, and large custom designed stained glass windows that evoke the work of Louis Sullivan and provide the desired level of natural light and privacy.
