Newman Theological College 'state of the art'

Architect says facility is designed to support students' formation

- Photo supplied This is an architectural computer rendering of the proposed Newman College library

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WESTERN CATHOLIC REPORTER

Edmonton — The new Newman Theological College building will be a state of the art facility designed to support the college’s philosophy, says architect Donna Clare of Cohos Evamy.

The 3,000-square-foot, two-storey facility will be located between the new St. Joseph’s Seminary and the Catholic Pastoral Centre at 8421-101 Ave.

In addition to classrooms of various sizes plus the Sopchyshyn Family Library, the building will feature a videoconference room for distance learning, a small chapel for 30 people and a central gathering area for students that connects to an exterior garden space.

Social heart

Both the chapel and library will connect onto the central gathering space, which Clare described as the “social heart of the college.

“The design is really based on supporting the philosophy of the college — to provide space for community and spiritual formation and intellectual formation and to support the Catholic faith and the understanding of the importance of faith,” Clare said.

Plans for the building are still being worked out, but Clare predicted construction might begin in the spring with a possible completion date of up to 18 months.

- Photo supplied The proposed exterior of Newman Theological College is seen in an aerial view from the southeast.

Newman president Bryn Kulmatycki said the new theological college will have everything it needs to provide theological formation.

“We do have some artistic sketches of what the new college might look like, but the details are not yet finished and we are still quite busy working with teams trying to finalize that,” he said.

“For instance the interior chapel is not yet finished and the administration area on the main floor is not yet finished, the students services area is not yet finished.”

State of the art

But Kulmatycki said the college being planned is “a state of the art facility to permit graduate instruction and research in theology.

“The facility will be able to accommodate all of our needs for the programs that we now have and we expect it to be very modern and up to date.”

Newman will operate out of a building recently vacated by Lakeland College in Sherwood Park while the college is being built, noted Kulmatycki.

“We leased the building for about two years, with the possibility of extension (in case of construction delays).”

Three priests who work at the college are currently designing the Newman chapel, which may accommodate about 30 people.

St. Joseph Seminary, which is expected to be ready for occupancy by September 2009, will have a large chapel with space for 250 people.

The college’s library, which will feature a large mezzanine on the second floor, will be fully integrated with the provincial library system and all major libraries in northern Alberta, noted Kulmatycki. Faculty offices will be on the second floor and administrative offices will be on the first.

The same size

The college, according to its president, will not be larger or smaller than the current one at Mark Messier Trail.

“We are replacing what we currently have and that’s basically what we’ve done,” Kulmatycki said.

“We won’t be gaining any (space) and we aren’t going to be losing any.”

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