Church of the Ascension and St. Agnes

being — 2022 — Washington, DC

Church of the Ascension and St. Agnes

Church of the Ascension and St. Agnes selected Moody Graham to design Americans with Disabilities (ADA) compliant access at the main entrance of this historic church.

Prior to the renovation, congregants with limited mobility and in wheelchairs watched services via video broadcast in a lower-level multi-purpose space accessible only by the side entrance.

Moody Graham, in collaboration with the Church community, transformed the main entry by creating not only an ADA accessible ramp, but also a walk through the garden that provides opportunities for close interaction with plants. The new ramp terminates at a large landing in front of the Church entry that became a stage for outdoor services and events. Phase I of the project opened before Christmas in 2018 and the doors of Church of Ascension and St. Agnes were finally accessible to the full community.

Photos by Allen Russ

Landscape Architecture Photographs – Washington DC, Maryland, MD, Virginia, VA

The original ADA access provided mobility challenges for the congregation.

Moody Graham designed the new entry to reuse as much of the existing 19th-century granite (c. 1874) as possible. Additional reclaimed granite steps were installed to match the original stone, and new granite cheek walls were custom fabricated to match similar historic detailing on-site. New sandstone retaining walls matched the original church facade in detail, texture, and color. Although the design work was complex and the construction was labor intensive, the resulting design feels part of the fabric of the original architecture.

One of the final steps in this garden renovation was planting spring-flowering bulbs. Moody Graham created a bulb planting design, ordered the bulbs, and gathered our team, the contractor's team, and dozens of church congregants to install over 4,000 flowers. It was a great community event that brought together people of all ages for an enjoyable day in the garden.