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One of the top frustrations that church architects and AV designers deal with is getting sign off. Sometimes it seems like a design has been agreed upon and all systems are go, but then someone from the church comes in at the last minute requesting changes. (This is a scenario that anyone in any profession can relate to.)
In the church design setting though, this case of “too many cooks in the kitchen” can happen frequently as designers deal with building committees. Different people involved in the worship space have different perspectives and ideas, and they oftentimes don’t designate a final decision maker. This means that a previously agreed-upon idea can be changed on the whims of various different people.
To help designers navigate a potential mine field of changes, Church.Design sought the advice of seasoned design pros with church-work experience. At the end of this piece, we give you a hit list of the best tips for handling church clients.
Starting off on the right foot
Brian Atkinson, client development manager for ABD Engineering & Design, an acoustical consulting firm in Grand Rapids, Mich., says the most common project hurdles can be almost entirely avoided by communication, managed expectations, and getting the firm involved as early as possible to avoid surprises.
... the most common project hurdles can be almost entirely avoided by communication....
“We work with lots of churches, of all worship preferences and architectural styles around the country. We don’t sell, manufacture or install anything. It’s our job to help our clients make good decisions based on data, so our clients know that we’re working in their best interests, and that’s always helpful throughout the life of any project,” he says. “No matter how carefully we approach a project, we’re working with human beings and organizations that often don’t work together every day, so last-minute changes are bound to come up.”
Back to the drawing board?
David Evans, president of Mantel Teter in Kansas City, Mo., says it’s a fairly frequent occurrence for churches to make last-minute requests that change the design and drawings in some way.
“Since most church work is small groups, staff teams, and even larger building committees, building consensus can be tough,” Evans says. Accept this fact: Everyone is busy, and getting the church team to spend time reviewing drawings and understanding design details is going to be difficult on a number of levels. "Some changes near the end come simply because the church teams have not had time to review the drawings,” he adds.
Accept this fact: Everyone is busy, and getting the church team to spend time reviewing drawings and understanding design details is going to be difficult on a number of levels.
Mantel Teter does what it can to accommodate these requests, but it must be within reason.
“Some changes may not only impact the architectural drawings, but also engineering drawings,” Evans says. “When multiple disciplines are involved, the amount of time can add up. Some changes may be so involved that additional fees are needed to cover the architectural and engineering time.”
In addition, when changes happen last minute, coordination can be tricky as the design team rushes to complete drawings, which can give way to missing important elements.
“Sometimes we do have to say ‘no.’ If the design team can explain the process and help the church team understand what’s involved to make the requested change, the conversation is usually not too bad,” Evans says. “While the church team may be disappointed, we try to show them a solution to how the change could be incorporated, but not just right now.”
Money really does matter, but so does education
The budget is of chief concern in changing design components too late in the process.
Evans says it’s important to educate clients about design, about costs, about budget impacts, and about time.
“Clients need to be equipped to make informed decisions and designers are the conduit to provide that education." David Evans, President, Mantel Teter, Kansas City, MO
“Clients need to be equipped to make informed decisions and designers are the conduit to provide that education,” Evans says. “The building is for the church and the ministry it provides, it’s a custom tool. It’s not the architect’s building, so while as architects we may not always agree with the design decision, it’s important to remember that through education the client can make the best decisions for [themselves].”
Atkinson says the most important piece here is education.
“Since we are looking after a church’s best interests, we simply explain what the change in cost or performance will be, and what they can expect by way of consequences,” he says.
Making a change ... and when not to
Bob Langlois, president and founder of Second Opinion Audio LLC, audio analysts in Colorado Springs, Colo., says the design team should always leaves options open during the design process, understanding that these changes could be coming.
“Sometimes we need to explain to them that it’s just not best,” he says. “We sit down with them and tell them [that] if they do this, 150 people won’t hear them, and it’s a matter of showing them changes they want often won’t work.”
"[If the situation warrants, we have to tell them straight up], if they do this, 150 people won’t hear them, and it’s a matter of showing them changes they want often won’t work.” Bob Langlois, President and Founder, Second Opinion Audio LLC, Colorado Springs, CO
He adds that whenever a design is done, he anticipates that changes could be coming and he leaves room for possible modification.
Tyler Hoffman, senior creative manager of Illuminated Integration LLC, church integrators and designers in Harrisburg, Pa., says that while every project has some minor changes required, 1 in 10 has a major change, such as placement of video surface or substitution of a system for an entirely different system.
When someone at the church asks for a last-second change, he holds a redesign meeting with his staff to determine if the change is possible with the designed infrastructure and then calculate how much the change in cost will be.
When someone at the church asks for a last-second change, [integrator Tyler Hoffman with Illuminated Integration] holds a redesign meeting with his staff to determine if the change is possible with the designed infrastructure and then calculate how much the change in cost will be.
This happened on a youth room project recently that the company installed, Hoffman reports. A simple video wall solution was designed early on and then the church staff, during the last two weeks of install, added a projection screen, projector and camera to the system, rendering the specified switcher useless. The church decided to use the switcher elsewhere, but the system had to be redesigned.
“Usually this is a conversation that happens with the church when speaking about completion timelines,” Hoffman says. “In several cases, it’s not a lack of time to install, but rather the unavailability of the new equipment.”
Critical takeaways for the church designer
* avoid project hurdles through communication, managed expectations, and getting your design firm involved early
* educate your clients and help them make informed decisions based on data
* accept that when you're dealing with a church committee, it will be difficult to get everyone on the same page
* explain to your clients when certain changes simply won't work
* accept that requests for changes will arise and leave room for possible modification
* hold a redesign meeting with your staff to assess and address requests for last-second changes
