Temple Emanu-El is a vibrant Reform Jewish community that strives to be a place of sacred encounter. The 57-year old campus recently underwent a significant renovation, including the addition of a third worship space. Stern Chapel is an intimate, light-filled space that overlooks a garden atrium. The seating layout, which can be reconfigured for meetings and group discussion, reflects the Temple’s ambition for a plan that supports a dialogue between the congregation, celebrants and God’s creation through the window wall. Perforations in the balcony fronts and retractable screens read as abstractions of foliage, reinforcing the connection to nature, and serve to mitigate audible high-frequency reflections from the flanking walls.