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The coronavirus-related circumstances of our times, along with the changing ways in which people collectively worship, have merged into a studied response to adjust and adapt, top church designers report. And while there is no replacement for physically meeting together at critical project milestones, many architects and designers have found that social distancing is not an insurmountable obstacle to understanding clients’ needs, exploring solutions, and bringing their visions to reality.
Many have set up varying technology systems to connect to their church clients and allow projects to continue to move forward.
Architects and designers report that they're adjusting to a new way of conducting design business. And they say their clients aren't missing a beat.
Chip Lindeke, FAIA, managing director of Architecture Advantage LLC in St. Paul, Minn., admits adjusting has taken some time and most church-related meetings have shifted from evenings to days.
“Our church-related projects have each realized the value of video, sound, projection, lighting, and televised production flexibility in increasing proportion to the amount of time the COVID-19 pandemic persists,” he says. “Support for clients comes in the way of sending information earlier for each meeting. Also, keeping files for drawings a manageable size in a format that is reasonably tech-proof for each building committee.”
“Where things have been trickier is with site visits and projects under construction. But the whole world has adapted to the digital way of doing things and we’ve found that clients have adjusted well.” Craig Janssen, Managing Director, Idibri, Addison, TX
Skyler Phelps, AIA, senior vice president of Kansas City, Mo.-based Mantel Teter, says the “new normal” is not that different than how the company has been working with its out-of-town clients over the years.
“In this uncertain time, we are continuing to utilize web conferencing technology to advance the development of facility improvement projects, which prepares churches to bring needed ministry space online as quickly as possible,” he says. “People gravitate to churches during difficult times. Churches that continue planning processes will be better positioned to meet the felt needs of the communities they serve.”
Along with video conferencing, “support for clients comes in the way of sending information earlier for each meeting. Also, keeping files for drawings a manageable size in a format that is reasonably tech-proof for each building committee," shares Chip Lindeke, FAIA, managing director of Architecture Advantage in St. Paul, Minn.
Craig Janssen, managing director of Idibri, an acoustic, theater planning, and technology design firm in Addison, Texas, says digital connection is now “muscle memory” for everyone, and his firm helps church clients level up their digital communication and connection capacity.
“We’ve been working from home for nine weeks now, and everything we do is in the cloud from a design point of view anyway,” he says. “Where things have been trickier is with site visits and projects under construction. But the whole world has adapted to the digital way of doing things and we’ve found that clients have adjusted well.”
Video conferencing
If there’s one thing architects have learned during this time is that the spoofs on late night TV are accurate and not always exaggerated as people do unsuspecting things with kids, dogs, background noise, eating and other seemingly simple sidebars that can create distractions and smiles.
“Each meeting, whether Zoom or Teams, whether video shared, Blue Beam, or group phone discussions have interesting humorous breaks,” Lindeke says. “The meetings also have clumsy moments where screens go blank or the wrong button is pushed, but the spirit of the group is very forgiving.”
However, the video conference is fast becoming a way of life and he fully expects it to continue.
“The meetings also have clumsy moments where screens go blank or the wrong button is pushed, but the spirit of the group is very forgiving.” Chip Lindeke, FAIA, Managing Director, Architecture Advantage LLC, St. Paul, MN
“It is proving to be an effective technique for communication. It has stream-lined meetings and focused discussions,” Lindeke says. “There are benefits for controlling the screen image during a presentation as it keeps everyone on the same page. Questions flow smoothly and no one seems reserved with their questions.”
Mantel Teter utilizes Microsoft Teams to schedule and conduct online web conferences.
“This platform allows us to visually and audibly interact with meeting participants while presenting meeting content by sharing our computer screens with the group,” Phelps says. “We can react to client input by making real-time drawing changes, which fosters a very collaborative design process.”
Help is out there
The ability to help implement and maximize systems and space for church clients is invaluable in the wake of the coronavirus. The full architectural, engineering, and specialist design team can make a difference.
For instance, a client Architecture Advantage has worked with for almost 30 years through six different phases of planning and construction has decided to explore the original balcony planned in 1993 but unbuilt to date.
“Its implementation now offers a comfortable way to enlarge the equipment areas for the ever-increasing technology and control requirements,” Lindeke says. “It offers a simple way to expand within the sanctuary’s footprint more economically than an addition. It allows the choir to also have an alternate location for special services, and it offers choir directors the chance to split into both chancel and balcony locations for an antiphonal music service or performance.”
Ongoing projects
When the pandemic began, Architecture Advantage was working on a church project whose committee has found even greater conviction to proceed with plans and to have it ready to be built at the earliest opportunity.
“It is a project that will re-activate many parish goals and services within an inner-city parish,” Lindeke says. “It will make the facilities of the church, undercroft, and parish center fully accessible and welcoming for all, attributes missing for decades.”
At any point in time, Idibri could have as many as 100 projects going, so when the pandemic hit, the company transitioned to much more analytical tracking of all projects to understood where everything stood and what phase of work was underway.
“We’ve witnessed that the current climate has had little impact on our clients’ focus on advancing their ministry vision, goals, and objectives." Skyler Phelps, AIA, Senior Vice President, Mantel Teter, Kansas City, MO
“What we observed is that projects under construction continued under construction, with only one that stopped,” Janssen says. “Those in the middle of design, about a third came to a halt overnight. Those where contracts were just signed, a significant number of those went on hold.”
Mantel Teter has several ongoing church projects in different phases of development, including strategic planning, master planning, design development, and construction.
“We’ve witnessed that the current climate has had little impact on our clients’ focus on advancing their ministry vision, goals, and objectives,” Phelps says. “There is confidence that this too shall pass.”
He believes this “new normal” will remain the normal, and the company is prepared to continue offering clients what they need.
“We have learned new and creative ways to interact with our clients and deliver our services,” Phelps says. “We will take a lot of positives from this experience that will leave a lasting impression on how we move forward. We are confident that we can guide our clients to their desired destination using new and improved ways to get there.”
