Bingo! That's the one! Much appreciated, Azel. The first time I saw that rough sketch I thought, "That ship looks HUGE!" Granted, it was a first impression, reminding me in some vague way of a Star Destroyer in mass. Looking at it now, my imagination runs a bit wild. I would see this vessel as...
...absolutely gigantic, a TRUE city in space. Self-sufficient, she would be the Explorer Class ship of her day, expanding the knowledge, membership and territorial frontiers of the Federation in the Milky Way centuries after pioneers like Archer, Kirk, Picard and even Janeway.
It would be a time of unprecendented galactic stability, as in this time the Klingon, Romulan and Cardassian govenments have finally realized that peace and cooperation be better than centuries of hostilities and warfare. The Borg threat has largely been countered and the Dominion is kept largely at bay via the treaty signed at Deep Space Nine those many years ago, plus the more recent strengthened resolve of the Federation's older rivals, now more or less political allies.
Her size would contain all the facilities a crew numbering in the thousands would need for missions that could theorhtcally last decades. Partially inspired by the Galaxy Class of the late 24th century, this new class of starship would house Starfleet as well as civilan crewmembers. The scientific and research facilities would rival those of any terrestrial-bound conterparts. Her recreational and living spaces would replicate a small city, with expansive cabins, community areas, sports facilities, many of which are created by the latest in Particle Synthesis technologies.
Not that she isn't prepared for possible hostilities. The Borg and Dominion are less of a threat now, but yet still must be dealt with all seriousness in any case. Her quantum and transphasic torpedoes cover all possible tragectories, and the phasers have been refined to the a level of refinement that was deemed impossible by Federation scientists even up to the mid-25th century, and then only hypothesized. With state-of-the-art defensive sheilding, ablative/reflective armor and a myriad of countermeasures, this ship more than ready to handle the most powerful warships of the time.
A vessel for a new age of exploration, this is the 26th century, this the Golden Age of the Rennaissance Class U.S.S. Enterprise.
(Kinda like that for a show intro)