St. Hubert Catholic Church

Hoffman Estates, IL

This 1961 church was originally meant to be torn down, but due to cost, evolved into a remodel project. The church was dark and depressing. Contrasting this was a clear skylight down the spine that offered high contrast and intense heat in the summer. The interior renovation included lightening the finishes of the wood ceiling, patching the holes from the original surface cylinder downlights, and building a perimeter cove that washed light onto the ceiling and down to the vertical surfaces. Concealed on the front side of the beams were surface cylinder downlights to offer the horizontal illumination. The skylight was recommended to have a diffuse transmission to reduce the high contrast, help to provide more even illumination, and reduce the heat.