The St. Joan of Arc Chapel enriches campus and inspires those who step through its doors at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Students, faculty, and alumni embrace the chapel for worship, community, and academic learning. Visitors of all backgrounds and faiths are drawn to this special place for its historic and artistic value. As part of a renovation project, raSmith's team of site planners, landscape architects, civil engineers, and structural engineers collaborated with The Kubala Washatko Architects (TKWA), the Marquette University Facilities Planning and Management Team, and other stakeholders to renovate and redevelop a beautiful site design for the chapel.

A Brief History
Built in the early 15th century in France, the chapel served as a place of worship for centuries before falling into a state of disrepair. In the 1920s, Gertrude Hill-Gavin (American railroad scion and devotee of St. Joan of Arc) acquired the chapel, transported it to her property in New York State, and renamed it in honor of the French saint. Gavin had also purchased a stone relic attributed to Joan of Arc and installed it in the chapel building. This stone is believed to be the one that Joan knelt upon in prayer before battle, which is supported by an official French endorsement of authenticity. As the story goes, she kissed the stone and to this day, it is said to feel colder than the surrounding stones. The chapel was eventually sold and donated in the 1960s to Marquette University as a special gift.

Restoring a Treasure
The chapel required improvements to restore as much of its original state as possible. Therefore, Marquette University launched a $3 million renovation campaign and selected a multi-disciplinary team of consultants for the chapel's restoration. The team included TKWA and raSmith, as well as a historic preservation specialist, roofing contractors, and lighting designers. Improvements were made to the structure's roof, steeple, interior walls and surfaces, HVAC, lighting, and other components. The existing site conditions required modifications to improve accessibility, safety, and aesthetics.

 
Reimagining the Site Design
Many of the site and landscape elements were in need of repair. The old, irregular bluestone paving around the chapel and fountain was heaved and deteriorated with missing stones along with cracked and uneven mortar joints. The new design incorporated limestone paving to improve the safety and match the previously installed Marian grotto paving near the chapel. This same stone paving was carried into the chapel when the floor was replaced, giving the entire site and chapel space visual continuity.

However, the remaining site concrete and stone steps did not meet current ADA requirements, and the limestone steps were also in disrepair. A new paving plan which included the steps and ramps was designed to provide accessibility to visitors of all abilities to enjoy the site, chapel, renovated fountain, and gardens. Reinforced, color-matched concrete replaced the dilapidated limestone steps and landings for safety and longevity.

There were many existing trees on the site that were diseased (old crabapple), in decline, or had structural and girdling root issues. Several mature trees were retained and protected, including a grove of hackberry and some honey locust trees. New deciduous shade trees were planted, including ironwood, American linden, sugar maple, and several smaller, ornamental trees. The ironwood trees formed an allee that bracketed each side of the chapel and created a visual rhythm throughout the site.

The existing mortared stone walls that were built in the 1960s were mostly intact but needed a lot of attention due to fracture cracks, loose cap stone, and some bulging from frost expansion, poor drainage, and a lack of coping flashing. The walls were surveyed, and laser scanned to build a model of the existing conditions and to develop a plan standard on the repair protocols, so the contractor could ascertain the extent of the repair work. The walls were tuckpointed; caps were repaired; proper flashing installed; and parts of the walls were dismantled and rebuilt in whole, reusing the existing limestone veneer.

There are three existing ancient stone urns on the site that remained in place due to the risk and expense of attempting to move them, so they were incorporated into the garden design. The relocation of planting beds away from direct contact with the chapel's exterior walls reduces moisture-wicking issues through the walls to the interior of the chapel.

The Gardens
Most of the existing plantings were dated, overgrown, or underwhelming and in need of replacement. However, one of the very special seasonal events of the chapel gardens is in spring when thousands of tulip bulbs blossom, bringing a huge splash of color to the site after a long winter. These bulbs were saved and replanted in the gardens to the greatest extent possible for future site visitors and students to enjoy. The new garden areas were replenished with organic soil amendments and planted with a variety of shrubs, grasses, and perennials to provide seasonal interest and texture to the landscape. Many of the perennials were chosen based on typical colors and hues found in French gardens, including pinks, purples, white, and burgundy.
At the east end of the chapel site, a special garden was designed to recognize the donors of the renovation project and named the Gratitude Garden. This area provides a meandering gravel path and space for quiet reflection and prayer. The design of the garden space was inspired by the form of "opening arms" to welcome visitors and embrace the campus. A plaque was designed by a local artist to recognize the donors and is elegantly displayed for guests entering the site from the east.

Resounding Results
From the chapel to the site, this project represents a significant and successful collaboration between multiple design disciplines, stakeholders, and contractors to renovate and preserve a historic chapel for future generations. raSmith's founder Richard Smith and his wife Joan Smith are alumni and proud supporters of Marquette University, so this project is very special for them and their family.

The new site design improves access and function while embracing the history and character that is celebrated by Marquette University students, faculty, and guests. The chapel renovation project has received very positive feedback from the community and won two awards-a 2021 Top Project Award from The Daily Reporter, a Wisconsin-based construction publication, and a 2022 Honor Award for Religious Architecture-Restoration from Partners for Sacred Places, a national nonprofit organization.