It is impossible to walk through Lubbock Christian University’s campus without noticing the fountain in the center. We had the privilege of designing this fountain/baptismal for LCU in 2014. This project holds significant meaning for us because it is the first project we designed as WCA Design Studio.
In August of 2014, Mike Selleck, LCU’s Director of Facilities, asked if we could design a fountain on the campus mall. Also, Mike expressed a desire for the fountain to be an outdoor baptismal pool. The fountain would not only be a resting and gathering place at the center of the University, but it should also become the spiritual heart of LCU. Tony and Dolly Gullo, long-time donors, had appropriated money specifically for this purpose. These two requests were the only marks on what was essentially a blank canvas.
After walking through the area and speaking with Mike, we spent time researching, planning, and creating different options for the space. We wanted it to be a place that was beautiful, intentional, and symbolic, as well as a space that might inspire people to make a moment to pause and enjoy their surroundings. We drew inspiration for the orientation of the fountain from the layout of the University Mall and the buildings that form its borders. The symbolic meaning of the fountain was drawn from Biblical texts; some of these inspirational scriptures can be seen carved into stone, included in the finished fountain. In addition to Biblical texts, we included references to the geographical locations where Moses split the rock to sustain Israel with life-giving water and where Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist. These threads of thought wove a tapestry of spiritual meaning into the bricks, stones, and mortar that shaped the fountain.
Once our design ideas were complete, Zac presented our vision to President Perrin. The design was well received, and President Perrin and Mike then presented the plans to Tony and Dolly Gullo. The only change was a request that water would shoot up from the fountain.
After receiving approval from LCU and the donors, Mike began construction on the project. He was able to build the fountain solely from the pictures we gave him, instead of using traditional construction documents. After just four months of construction, the project was complete. The fountain was dedicated on April 7th, 2015. We’re humbled to have had the opportunity to design this fountain, and so grateful that we were a part of it.
