New home rooftops have long been a common sight in San Diego, but in recent months, chapel tops have been among the few things popping up on the county's landscape.
While residential and commercial development has been waning throughout once sizzling Southern California, the church construction business is now red hot — particularly among local Catholic parishes, said David Pfeifer, AIA, principal at Domus Studio Architects.
"It's symbolic of the ongoing importance of churches in the community — in both stable and struggling economic times," said Pfeifer, whose San Diego-based design firm specializes in liturgical and religious structures.
Economic downturns do make religious organizations more conscientious about how they invest their resources, he said, but the continued growth of congregations and the need to upgrade aging urban sites are among the reasons for the current church construction boom.
