Finishing out a house of worship space with the products that meet the current needs of a church is challenge enough, but selecting products that are also versatile, durable and smart enough for what needs could come down the road is a tall order. A taller order still: finding products that are affordable for the budget of a church. Church Designer spent time with industry experts discussing some of the best products on the market today, as well as tried and true solutions to meet a variety of project goals, from the floor and up.#
Flooring Trends
In any high-traffic setting, nothing takes a beating like flooring, which makes carpet tile ideal, and therefore still a top-trending product. Robin Grimes, owner of Phoenix-based Custom Church Interiors recommends Mohawk’s Art History line. “[It] comes in broadloom and tile so is usable for large spaces and areas like stairs, and comes in a great mix of colors and patterns that are warm and good for just about any space,” he reports. Another low-maintenance answer to high traffic is Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT). Grimes recommends LVT products from Shaw, Mohawk and Patcraft. “[LVT] is amazing, dynamic and affordable, and since it’s a hard surface that isn’t actually hard, it can be used everywhere—even on the [worship] platform because of its sound absorbency.”
Seating Options
The call to efficiently steward space continues to drive the popularity of theater seats for corporate worship spaces, according to Ron Ogden, vice president of sales with Miami-based Series Seating. “Theater seats provide 20 more seats per row than a traditional pew,” he says. “Additionally, the gravity-lift theater seats are quiet, maintenance-free and durable.” Grimes adds that theater seats are also appealing to first-time guests, since they often want a defined seating space. “It’s a personal space issue,” he says. In multipurpose spaces, though, theater seats and their fixed nature lose out to the portability and storability of the stackable chair. For a church designer seeking to retain the traditional design that only a pew provides, Series also offers Optima, a fixed row of theater seats without arm rests that is available in an encasement.
In more casual gathering spaces, Ogden reports that low-profile sectional style seating is a top seller. He cites the seating’s modular character as ideal for a church setting that’s programming for multiple ages and activities “eight days a week.”
Decorative Hardware
To preserve design rather than clutter it, Sharon Exley, president of Chicago-based Architecture is Fun, utilizes simple magnetic closures for cabinetry. ###IMAGE4###“We like storage, but not clutter, so to avoid knobs and mismatched locks, in children’s spaces especially, we install a magnetic closure and supply another magnet to pull it open.” Exley is also utilizing decorative hardware from consumer brand Restoration Hardware, since the company has recently launched a program for the building and design trades. “They have beautiful and clean hardware, and it’s so well-designed the pieces don’t look like a fad,” she says. Exley also uses Rocky Mountain Hardware, specifically for its barn door tracks and other hand-cast bronze pieces. Finally, a favorite for door levers is the HEWI line from Hafele. “They come in great colors and are very ergonomic for seniors and kids,” says Exley.
Locks & Security
On the more functional side of hardware, James Templeton, AHC, owner of C&T Associates Inc. in Woodstock, Ga., shares: “Security is the trend.” He’s referring to the need for churches to control access to and throughout their facilities. This is heightened by any presence of children’s programming or a school. “Magnetic locks with card access and electronic keyless entry are the best way to go,” he says. In his work with architects and churches, Templeton employs products from Allegion’s Schlage AD Series and Dorma’s M9000 Series for door lever-keypad systems, reporting that they are contemporary in design, durable and easy to keep clean. For exit crossbars, Dorma’s Fairview line is very clean and basic and is well suited to multipurpose spaces, Templeton says, whereas the Stonebriar line has a richer look, ideal for more formal areas.
Lighting Fixtures
Incorporation of lighting as part of a church space’s overall design, and not just as technology for utilization in worship arts, is steering product development. “From the arrival in the parking lot, through the commons areas and into the dedicated worship spaces, dynamic lighting design elements and advanced technologies are being deployed,” says Daryl Sutton, house of worship vertical market manager for Harman’s Martin Professional with U.S. offices in Sunrise, Fla.
For exterior spaces, Martin Professional’s Exterior 400 fixture is energy-efficient and ideal for outdoor lighting designs that require a range of colors or uniform color washes. The Exterior 400 provides extremely bright light (5,300 lm) while working with very low power consumption (139W max) and is ideal for lighting the tops of structures, up-lighting columns or reaching across long spaces, the company reports.For indoor use, whether part of the technical ministry or the environment’s design, Martin has two products that are particularly well suited. First is the Rush DC 1 Aqua, a compact LED fixture that can be used for creating subtle wall textures. The fixture is DMX-controllable and features five selectable colors with variable effect speed and direction control. Next is the Rush Gobo Projector 1, which uses E30-sized gobos for projecting a single image, such as a logo. Focus, speed and direction are easily changed, the company reports, and its silent operation and compact size make it non-intrusive. The fixture is cased in silver and possesses an IP20 protection rating for indoor mounting by an adjustable bracket.
Window Shading Systems
For spaces with skylights, large windows, or glazing where the slope makes roller shades impractical, Jeff Miller, LEED AP, solar control products manager for Draper Inc. based in Spiceland, Inc.,, recommends its FlexLouver Rack Arm System. It’s a non-retractable louver system that always remains in place, but can be opened and closed to control solar energy, light and glare. “It’s excellent for very precise light control and is designed to provide dependable service for years without a lot of maintenance,” says Miller. “This type of system has been popular in Europe for some time now, but is just now catching on in the United States.”Another Draper product is the Graphic FlexShade, which can be customized with artwork—a means for sharing a message with the exterior world—and also ideal if there are signage restrictions in a church’s community. To make the best use of natural light in auxiliary spaces, Draper’s Bottom-Up FlexShade goes up to close, keeping the lower half of the window shaded while natural light filters through the top. “People sitting near the windows are sheltered from direct sunlight, while daylight penetration is maintained,” Miller points out.
