In the last 10+ years of serving in my current church staff role, I’ve had the blessing of serving as a project manager for nearly a dozen major construction projects. While all of them were different to a large extent, there are a few key ideas that carried through on each.
As I noted in an article last year, "8 Steps to Choosing the Ideal Integrator," (https://www.churchproduction.com/education/choosing-an-integrator/), there are a number of critical components to consider when choosing an integration partner to handle the AVL scope of a project.
After all, for many churches, a construction project may be a once-in-a-generation experience, so being able to plan effectively can help set up a church for success for many years to come.
Of the original eight tips I gave, three are worth restating and expanding upon.
1-Get an integrator involved as early as possible
This is one worth repeating over and over, simply due to the impact it can have on the building as a whole.
In some cases, a church will ask an architect or electrical contractor (EC) to provide guidance or specs on conduit needs, power locations, etc., so that a project can get started quickly.
However, those companies may not be familiar with all of the church’s AVL needs, and they may also be unfamiliar with changes in the AVL industry that would necessitate certain infrastructure requirements.
But by getting an integrator involved on the ground floor, churches can help set several trades up for success without running the risk of costly change orders or schedule overruns.
... by getting an integrator involved on the ground floor, churches can help set several trades up for success without running the risk of costly change orders or schedule overruns.
The integrator can provide guidance on equipment heat loads, helping a mechanical contractor properly spec HVAC in a rack room. He can also ensure correct requests for conduit and floor boxes prior to the pouring of concrete slabs and the finishing of the stage surface. By knowing the weight requirements of rigged equipment, he can also give appropriate direction to structural contractors regarding steel and structural support in the ceiling.
Additionally, an integrator can speak into the acoustic design of a room based on the type of PA needed, providing a chance to impact the angle of walls, treatment of ceilings, and perhaps even the surfacing of the auditorium and stage floors. Plus, early on an integrator can specify technical power requirements in case transformers or technical power panels are needed for clean power.
Having to go back and make these adjustments after construction has started can be costly in terms of time and money, so getting a partner established early on is critical.
2-Plan long-term
Any construction project will have budget limitations, so there will likely always be gear that the church wants but can’t afford. The good news is that they can add more gear down the road as money becomes available in future budget years. The bad news is that they can’t necessarily go back and add infrastructure.
So, if a church is having to think longer-term, the best area to focus on is the “bones” of the building that can’t be easily changed down the road.
Questions to ask include, should we add an extra empty conduit between front-of-house and the stage, or from the stage to an amp room? What about extra power on the stage or in the ceiling to allow for future lighting rentals for special events like Christmas and Easter? Do we need additional tielines on the stage for future instruments or even hand-held cameras?
If we are doing a sub cavity under the front of the stage, is it being built in a way that will allow access for maintenance and repairs? Is the steel in the ceiling being fabricated so that it could support the weight of a potential future LED wall if we decide to replace the projectors someday?
Is there enough space at FOH (either above or below a counter) for additional equipment racks to be added if needs grow in the future? Or, if it’s a scenario where we now don’t use cameras and just have all of our gear at FOH, have we identified a potential space we could move Production to down the road if we need an enclosed video booth where a director can call camera shots without distracting the congregants? Likewise, if we ever wanted to add a broadcast audio mix, do we know where we would put that console, and is there a conduit path to that space?
Yes, it may cost some money now to answer these questions with effective long-term planning. But the cost will increase dramatically down the road if we ever have to go back and retrofit a space for these things.
3-Be part of the process
Obviously an integrator or consultant is involved in the process because of their expertise. But once they come onboard, they will need an on-staff tech contact.
That contact needs to be familiar enough with the infrastructure drawings and requirements that they can walk through the project and know whether all of the necessary conduit and wall outlets are in the right place. In a large project, mistakes and oversights by contractors are going to happen from time to time, and we need to have enough of a sense of ownership to not just assume that others are seeing all of the details that would be important to us.
Since the tech lead will ultimately be responsible for maintaining and operating all of the gear after the install, that person should also have a solid understanding of how things were installed....
Since the tech lead will ultimately be responsible for maintaining and operating all of the gear after the install, that person should also have a solid understanding of how things were installed: where cable was pulled, why gear was hung a certain way, and what challenges were faced when installing certain widgets. Having that backstory and context can be extremely important in the future when considering making equipment changes or additions.
Closing thoughts
I once heard the saying that you can’t expect what you don’t inspect, and that’s especially true in scenarios like this. As the client, it’s OK for me to ask questions of the subcontractors to make sure we are all on the same page for the project.
There’s nothing worse than getting down the road and realizing that something has been forgotten or missed, so it’s incumbent on me to ensure that the integrator and I are doing regular walk-throughs to coordinate details.
In a similar vein, I should also ensure that I’m asking enough questions to get familiar with the lines of the budget. If I don’t understand what something is or what it’s going to be used for, I should always be willing to speak up and ask. Sometimes things are simply overlooked during the revision process and items are included (or removed) on accident. But there are other times where simply talking through equipment quotes can lead to a better solution.
Ultimately, I owe it to the church and my team to feel a sense of ownership during the process instead of just blindly assuming that all parties are fine without my involvement.
Even though coordinating construction projects can seem daunting, they don’t really have to be an overwhelming process. By having the right partner, the right planning, and the right process, I can help set myself and my church up for years of success.
