The St. Rose of Lima Parish has a rich history in Sooke, but has only recently acquired a permanent home. After their original chapel, built on First Nations reserve land in 1926, was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 1940's, the parish was able to build a new church in 2012 on a partially forested site near downtown Sooke.

MDI worked closely with the parish and project design team to retain a patch of existing forest and a creek flowing through the site, and to celebrate the natural beauty of these features as the 'borrowed landscape' or backdrop for the new facility. Around the church, bioswales slow and filter runoff from the new church building and parking area, and pleasing outdoor spaces such as a large wooden deck and a sunken lawn provide functional spaces for church programs like outdoor weddings and luncheons.

MDI developed concept designs, details and construction documents for the project’s landscape and rainwater management system.