Manifesto: LeConte Woodmanston Chapel One hundred fifty years ago, it is unlikely that residents of Liberty County, Georgia, would have foreseen the construction of a chapel at the LeConte Woodmanston Plantation honoring the work and people of this region. Made successful by rice production, cultivated by the skills and labor of enslaved people from West Africa, the LeConte Woodmanston Plantation tells stories of anguish and celebration. The proposed chapel design for this site was inspired by derivations of these stories abstracted into built form. As a whole, it attempts to create an experience of contemplation and Christian worship; gathering places for people living in present Riceboro, GA, many, of whom, are descendents of enslaved people. Beginning with hours of on-site study and sketching, interviews of enslaved people’s decedents, and case studies of similar projects, the foundation of knowledge used to create a new design was laid. Three significant design line systems define the building structure. They landmark the site's history as authenticated through interviews conducted with individuals who knew those working this land over a century ago. The first, a cardinal axis,was selected to exemplify its historical, cross-cultural use as a sacred space. It is used as an orientation point connecting it to sacred spaces of peoples around the world. Historically, it summarizes the human experience of life, death and time in a way easily perceived over the course of a day. The second line is that of a sight line leading back to West Africa. It breaks the cardinal grid showing the significance of this site for the peoples traveling here. Made by the primary angle of the pitched roof, one approaches the entry looking towards West Africa and then turns away from this to enter the structure, symbolically looking towards the future. A heightened chapel space allows the user to look up, showing a hopeful future through the worship of God. Finally, the summer solstice sunset, marking the end of the rice-seeding season, is the angle used to define the northern edge of a trellis. Another angle that breaks the cardinal grid, this line is significant because it marks the beginning of cultivation and harvest. Symbolically, this shows the centrality of rice production to the work and community of people in this region. It also contains references of humble work needed to maintain a prejudice-free society, a key component of Christian beliefs modeled by Jesus himself. In addition to these structural lines, a fourth layer of concept was integrated into the overall design, that being, Time. Two types of time were explored: Kiros and Chronos time. Kiros time is 'God's time' and is qualitative being the type of time one experiences in moments of various strong emotions. Chronos time is seconds, minutes, hours, ect... and is quantitative; it’s predictable. These two ideas are juxtaposed as two buildings exemplifying each type of time. The Chapel takes on the angular, detailed, and airy form while the support spaces adjacent to this are rectangular, predictable and practical. The Chapel is equipped with a 'weft' of steel cables on the south facade creating an opportunity for fibrous shading devices. The fibre texture creates a high level of visual interest and detail, perhaps an opportunity for 'kiros' experiences as light and shadow are sifted into the chapel environment. The site surrounding the chapel is gridded with north to south lines of small vegetation, transforming the natural forested landscape into a field of semi-natural pattern. This pattern is segmented with lines allowing an individual to encounter each at decreased frequency as one nears the chapel. The regularity and rhythm of this landscape embody Chronos time emphasizing as a tool inviting one to enter into a ‘Kiros’ experience near the chapel. Lastly, a feature that summarizes ‘Kiros’ was added at the apex of the structure. A net of varying widths creates a sculptural focal point stretching from the tip of the roof to the pond. The warped grid of time experienced as ‘Kiros’ glitters in the sunlight, moves in the water, and directs one’s attention to contemplation. In general, the viewer and user of the space won’t innately understand these building forms, but one’s experience within the site will accomplish the program. Community events, services, and personal meditation experienced through this site will provide opportunity for restoration and community in our human experiences past, present and for those yet to come.