October 13, 2011

The Rev. John A. Runkle, an Episcopal priest and architect specializing in histoical projects and liturgical spaces, has been named consulting project manager to the Rebuild Our Church in Haiti team working on the reconstruction of Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port-au-Prince, according to an Oct. 12 release from the Episcopal Church Foundation, which is coordinating the effort.

Runkle will collaborate with the project team to develop a design for the cathedral that will "respect and celebrate the Haitian people and their culture, respect the memory of the previous cathedral, incorporating the three surviving murals, comply with international seismic and hurricane building codes, incorporate environmentally-sensitive materials and methods, and include Haitian designers and construction workers on the team," according to the release.

Runkle's primary responsibility will be to develop a strategy to move the project forward, define requirements for the new cathedral, outline the characteristics of the building site (property lines, available utilities, site survey, etc.), set a realistic budget, establish a timeline, select an architect and general contractor, and oversee the construction process, the release said. Serving as the Episcopal Church representative, he will provide periodic reports to ECF, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and the Episcopal Church Executive Council.

"The Diocese of Haiti recognizes that the reconstruction of the church and its institutions is far from being a single activity," said Sikhumbuzo Vundla, chief of operations for the Diocese of Haiti, in the release. "Those involved with the design and execution of the project must consider the environmental impact of the job, the successful scheduling, budgeting, availability of building materials, and all of the logistics. With these issues in mind, we are excited to have the Rev. John Ander Runkle arrive with his toolbox."

"Hiring a project manager with the skills and experience of John Runkle for the reconstruction of the cathedral is a significant step in moving forward with the rebuilding effort," said the Rev. Joseph Constant, the Episcopal Church's special coordinator for Haiti. "John's project management and detail-oriented skills has been invaluable to the process. Given his background and passion for liturgical spaces, I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with John in building a new Cathedral for a new Haiti."

Runkle is on the staff of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia, and served as canon for architecture and the arts in the Diocese of Washington. During a 25-year career as an architect, he has frequently worked on projects involving the care and interpretation of architectural and cultural landmarks, according to the release. He has been a staff architect for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, has surveyed archaeological sites of medieval Islamic settlements in the Sahara Desert of North Africa, and has preserved, restored and revitalized historic worship space in the Anglican tradition.

He is the author of Searching for Sacred Space: Essays on Architecture and Liturgical Design in the Episcopal Church, a collection of essays that focus on liturgical space and its proper support of common worship. He is a frequent speaker at lectures, conferences and retreats, and teaches classes at Virginia Theological Seminary and Wesley Theological Seminary on the theology of sacred space and history of religious architecture.

Rebuild Our Church in Haiti is a national, grass-roots effort launched on the first anniversary of the magnitude-7 earthquake that decimated Haiti in January 2010. The appeal was authorized by Executive Council in response to the request from Bishop Jean Zach Duracin and the people of Haiti to help rebuild the Holy Trinity Cathedral complex.

Episcopal News Service