Project Stall. The term is so aptly descriptive in recent years that it basically coined itself, and when you say it, every architect instantly understands and relates.
There are common reasons why a church project stalls in the first place. And when you understand them, you’re in better shape to move forward when the time is right.
Here’s some insight on Project Stall from church design pros, Jacquelyn Block, AIA, principal at GFF Architects, and Dave Milam, vice president of strategic design for Visioneering Studios, both based in Dallas, Texas.
“Expect Project Stall whenever there is a budget/scope impasse.”
—Dave Milam, Vice President of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios, Dallas, TX
Alignment issues
Milam sets the stage: “If you’ve been in architecture for a while, you’ve probably seen dozens of projects stall over the years. And if you’re a church leader, you want to ensure a high-priced master plan doesn’t end up gathering dust in the church attic.”
Dave Milam, Vice President of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios, Dallas, TX
Church leadership alignment is oftentimes one of the causes of Project Stall, he’s found over time.
“The staff member who hired the architect isn’t always the person with the most political capital to rally a project to completion,” Milam describes. “And whenever there is no vision alignment, there is Project Stall.”
Sometimes, it’s the scope of the project and the budget that aren’t in alignment—where churches want more than they can afford.
“Expect Project Stall whenever there is a budget/scope impasse,” the Visioneering leader notes. “The only way to get the project rolling again is to balance the budget/scope expectation.”
Block offers up this course of action as an important step an architect can take when alignment is out of sync for any reason: “When a project is put on hold indefinitely, it’s best for the design team and the church to have a conversation about the pause and [to clarify] expectations when the project resumes.”
She adds, “When we pause, we periodically connect with the client to see if there is anything we can help with and check on the status of the project.”
It’s also important to be very clear on where you left off when a project stalls, Block finds. “Whenever we pause on a project, we take detailed notes on where we were in the process and make sure to document any major decisions.” This effort of clearly documenting will be a godsend when the project kicks into gear again.
Sometimes when a project stalls, architects need to take a look in the mirror and reevaluate.
As Milam puts it, “The siren’s cry to create architectural wonders constantly calls to a designer. And if the architect and church leadership are not aligned on budget and program, count on budget busting plans, that don’t meet the church’s needs, to be drafted.”
And when this happens, guess what usually follows. Project Stall.
“In an economic climate like today, a long project pause could mean significant construction cost escalation on the project.”
—Jacquelyn Block, AIA, Principal, GFF Architects, Dallas, TX
Nerves and sticker shock
For good reason in today’s economic climate, any client can get cold feet. And putting this fact into proper perspective can help architects keep their heads out of the clouds.
“Building and renovating facilities is a high-impact sport,” Milam states. “And since many pastors have never been in the design game before, it can be terrifying to the rookie leader.”
A nervous pastor needs to feel confident about the process, the team, and the design before they will move forward—and rightfully so. There are a million moving parts involved in designing truly functional church environments, and for this fact churches must feel confident they’ve chosen not only the right architect, but one who specializes in church design.
Milam puts it into perspective by saying, “Churches’ chosen architects must create engaging community spaces, high-impact performance venues, safe and secure children’s environments, and parking lots that can completely load and unload in 20 minutes or less.”
Jacquelyn Block, AIA, Principal, GFF Architects, Dallas, TX
For Block at GFF, a firm’s core values and reputation can assuage church clients’ concerns, and a church can be confident they’ve made the right choice by looking at the percentage of repeat clients and the number of client referrals a design company delivers.
An understanding of church client concerns and how current market conditions play into them is something a design firm must demonstrate that they possess, as well.
“In an economic climate like today, a long project pause could mean significant construction cost escalation on the project,” Block notes. “And you don’t want that to be a surprise when the project starts back up.”
Keep in mind, too, that sometimes Project Stall is due to internal stressors at the church, Milam reminds others in the design business. The pastor may simply be buried under the workload.
“Ministry is like a 24/7 game of whack-a-mole,” as he puts it. “Sometimes the daily demands of ministry simply crowd out the goal of future planning.”
“2023 will be a big year for growing churches. Many churches have seen significant gains and are working to keep the momentum going, while other churches are simply trying to regain the momentum they had before 2020.”
—Dave Milam, Vice President of Strategic Design, Visioneering Studios, Dallas, TX
Looking forward
Block finds that the American Institute of Architects is a great resource for architects, one that gives them industry insight and peer support as they move forward on church projects.
“I volunteer as the design chair for the AIA Interfaith Design Knowledge Community,” she says, “and it’s a great way to meet and exchange information with other professionals whose primary interest is religious facilities.”
In terms of design and construction standing up and shaking off the sludge that dragged them down in the aftermath of the pandemic, Milam finds that firms are indeed poised to continue moving ahead.
“2023 will be a big year for growing churches,” he states. “Many churches have seen significant gains and are working to keep the momentum going, while other churches are simply trying to regain the momentum they had before 2020.”
Either way though, Milam notes, “Both churches are looking to make updates to their space.”
And that’s where Project Stall can turn back into Project Start.
