B’nai Israel Campus
Bennett Sullivan designed and developed the new religious campus to harmonize with the rural historic setting, creating a unified 22,000 SF facility that brings the community together.
An existing congregation located in Waterbury, Connecticut made the strategic decision to relocate to a rural setting in the Historic District of Southbury, Connecticut. Bennett Sullivan worked with the client to gain land use approval for a religious use in a residential zoning district and agricultural zone. Another challenge was creating context for the historical precedent, as the property was adjacent to the Grand Army Highway, where in 1781 Jean Baptiste Count de Rochambeau and his French troops encamped while en route to and from Yorktown, Virginia.
Matching the character of the area
The design objective was to create a religious campus in a rural historic setting which incorporates the vernacular use of the New England farmhouse by creating multiple connected structures to control the scale of the project. This design approach gives the appearance of a farmhouse setting created with generational construction projects.
Approach to the building and materials
Serpentine floorplan connecting all 5 buildings with common street corridor. The floor uses Jerusalem stone for the main corridor, creating walkways reminiscent of the streets of Jerusalem.
Serpentine walkway with Jerusalem stone surfaces
Interior view of sanctuary for high holiday services
External entry with Jerusalem stone gate entry
The result
The result is one of the region’s largest community, cultural, spiritual, and educational centers of its kind, bringing together partner organizations under one roof to support families in Southbury and surrounding communities.
Client Testimonial
“Our unique campus blends harmoniously into Southbury’s historic district. It comprises separate buildings mimicking a New England farm vernacular and maintains the original setting of the farmland, all the while incorporating themes from Judaism and the land of Israel. As the Architect of Record, Bennett Sullivan shepherded the approval process, and as part of a collaborative design with two other design architects and our building committee, then prepared the construction documents and performed onsite supervision. An inviting home for both a synagogue and Federation (social service agency), it stands as the center of regional Jewish life.”
— Rabbi Eric Polokoff
B’nai Israel