20 Steps to a Successful Project

“20 steps to a successful project”


The building process:

Prayer: Call the leadership to prayer concerning possible building or expansion program.

Leadership summit: This meeting should be called to specifically review and analyze strengths and weaknesses of the church facility in relationship to current and future programs and ministries.

Inform Congregation: Call for a congregational meeting to share the findings of the leadership summit concerning the facility deficiencies and strengths. Use this meeting to select a building committee (see Exhibit “A”) with the specific directive to prepare a project feasibility report to further explore and determine the validity and necessity of a building or expansion program. Empower this committee to select a qualified Developer/Building consultant to assist them with this study. The purpose of this study should be to gather all the facts that will be pertinent to the technical systems of a building program.

Build your team: Select your building committee. The greatest mistake is underestimating the number of professions they must deal with. Your newly selected committee will have to have contact with the following consultants:

Real estate agents, Soils engineers, Surveyors, EPA audit requirements & possible wetland concerns, Municipal zoning and planning boards, Municipal water and sanitary departments, State and/or local fire marshals, Architects, Landscaping architect, Engineers, General contractors, Attorneys, Bankers, Audio/video, and acoustic engineers, Church furnishings and seating manufactures representatives, Recreational equipment representatives, Computer technicians & installers, Phone systems and network representatives

Because of the diversity of consultants required for a successful project, it is very important to select members of your building committee who are going to be capable of interacting with each of the above. A building committee should be setup with two structures, structure “A” should be an oversight committee of just a few people. (Three to five men and/or women) This committee will ultimately act as the appointed body to conduct business as a steering committee for the various technical and ministry subcommittees that will need to be selected. Each member of this subcommittee should be able to articulate the vision and ministry of the church as it pertains to these committees. They should have a complete understanding of what the leadership needs to have a facility that will be effective for ministry. Pray concerning your final choices. Who you select and how you structure your building committee can determine the success or failure of your project.


Church Consultant: Interview and select a qualified development building consultant to assist the feasibility committee. The role of the consultant at this stage should be one of an advisory capacity. He should be able to advise the building committee on the specifics necessary to develop a detailed feasibility report. (See Exhibit “C”) To develop a good feasibility report the building committee should concentrate on the following areas:

Property and grounds

A complete review of the condition, strengths and weaknesses of current facilities and how they relate to ministry.

In-depth review of all current and/or future parking requirements. Careful attention should be paid to all ingress and egress problems, merge lanes, etc.
Review all current and future recreational needs. This should include all ball fields, volleyball, horseshoe pits, soccer fields, amphitheater, etc. You should determine if there is adequate property to meet ministry objectives.
A comprehensive analysis of the site and its peculiar characteristics. This portion of the study should concentrate on the following:

The site location and characteristics. It should include survey maps and plots identifying the specific site in the overall plot plan for the area.

The total owned acreage as well as possible acreage to be acquired should also be addressed.

A complete analysis of the surrounding community activities. “What’s happening to the immediate neighborhood and how does this factor into the ministry, vision and mission of the church?”

Present and future regulatory planning and concerns. This portion of the study should concentrate on the following:

Type of Zoning: The zoning issue is a critical one because of the types of ministries the church is likely to have. How is the land currently designated. This is important especially if the church is interested in starting daycare centers, latchkey, adult daycare, assisted living or venturing into retail properties to be used as rental income. Most zoning laws will allow churches but not moneymaking ministries, which is viewed as retail businesses.

Urban structure: How has the city designated your land. Some municipalities create empowerment zones that may have monetary benefit to the church if the ministries are properly structured. A complete investigation needs to be performed to see if there are any advantages or disadvantages to the church.

Transportation and accessibility: Are the ingress and egress roads under local, county, state or federal maintenance? Will the church be responsible for upgrading the roads or installing merge lanes when larger facilities are built? These are potentially costly issues that need to be addressed early in the process.

Special municipal considerations: The committee needs to find out if the church is under any special type of ordinance that could apply to the property. If the property is close to the airport, they could be under a restricted height ordinance. If a portion of the property is deemed wetlands, this portion would be completely off limits to use of any kind, protected at the churches expense, and could possibly encroach heavily upon usable acreage. Again, special landscaping ordinances, merge lanes, and fire zones where high impact tap fees are enforced, as well as road and property impact fees, could all have a major impact upon the usability of the property.

Current utility services:

It should be determined what the capacity of current sanitary systems is. Can it be expanded if necessary? Even if you are on city sewer, check with the city to make certain their system can handle the additional loads. Is current sewer line large enough to handle increased capacity?
Water system: The question should be asked whether there is adequate volume and pressure to handle the new facilities requirements? What about capacity and tap or impact fees?

Electrical services: Size and location of current electrical service.

Construction Plan: There are different construction methods that can be used to develop a design/build plan for the church. Determine the type of construction method that best suits your congregation and select the appropriate professional consultants. It is very important that the selected firm has cutting edge technology. Recent technological advancements have made it possible to view the building prior to construction using an animated 3d virtual walkthrough video to see what the actual financed product is going to be. The advantages of using this technology are numerous. By seeing ahead of time what you are building, a multitude of change orders can be eliminated due to poor communication and misunderstanding. The video can also be used to enhance the stewardship campaign. Ninety-eight per cent of the congregation will not be able to read blueprints, but will clearly understand the building when presented in a 3d animated video. The video can also be used to educate the various subcontractors who will be bidding on the job, allowing them to see how certain details and transitions will take place. Since they can see the finished product, they will give tighter bids, thus producing an overall lower cost to the church. It should be a requirement that any firm selected have the capability to provide this type of technology as part of their standard package.
There are several methods used to perform construction today, however, the two following methods are the most commonly used to build churches today:

Architect/General Contractor: Their job is to draw the prints and, depending upon their contract, send them out for competitive bidding. When this method, is used, a church selects an architect to design their facility. Once drawn, the architect may act as an agent for the church by sending the finished prints out for bid, after which a general contractor is hired by the church to execute the physical construction. The architect’s role during the building process will be one of oversight and management.

Strengths: The architect is responsible for making sure the building is built to the specifications that he has specified. At an additional cost he can over- see the construction process as an independent agent for the church.

Weaknesses: The prints are normally developed without the input of the builder, who can assist in determining the most cost effective method of building your project. The architect will not guarantee the final cost of the building. There are several examples where prints had to be thrown away because they could not meet the budget expectation of the church. The main weakness is the church must take responsibility to coordinate all the other required professionals. The terminology “competitive bidding” is a process that does not necessarily mean the church is getting competitive bids. Using an architect only to design the project has been proven time and again that this is the most expensive way to build.

Questions to ask an architect:

Will you charge to redraw the blueprints if the bids will not meet your defined budget?

Do you include audio/visual/theatrical lighting and acoustic design? If not, who is financially responsible for the coordination of this trade?

Is a virtual 3d walkthrough of the facility included as part of your standard fee?

If not, what is the additional charge?

Will you guarantee the final cost of the project?

Do you carry errors and omissions insurance?

Will you be financially responsible for any errors and omissions due to architectural or engineering or code compliant errors?

Design/Build: This method is a team approach where one firm incorporates the services of an architect, engineer and builder under one contract. This means that your whole team is selected in the beginning of the project and can work together during the design phase to design the building in the most cost-effective manner. One company is responsible to meet the requirements of the entire building project, from project design to building closeout. Some design/build agreements will include a guaranteed maximum price clause to assure the church of a ceiling for base construction.

Strengths: This method requires all the consultants to work together at their expense to properly design and build your new facility. They are responsible, not the owner, for information coordination between each other. They are responsible for meeting the budget requirements. They are responsible for the final cost of the project. The architect, engineer, and general contractor are all now equally financially responsible to the owner to make certain all design parameters are met.

Weaknesses: The design/build team is now responsible for defining the cost of the project. Typically, this is viewed as a weakness because of the lack of competitive bidding. However, most communities have defined square foot parameters for building specific types of buildings. If the design team final cost falls within these parameters, then the strengths will overcome this weakness.

Questions to ask the design/build team:

Will you charge to redraw the blueprints if the bids will not meet budget?

Do you include audio/visual/theatrical lighting and acoustic design? If not, who is responsible for the coordination of this trade?

Will you guarantee the final cost of the project?

Is a virtual 3d walkthrough of the facility included as part of your standard fee?

If not, what is the additional charge?

Do you carry errors and omissions insurance?

Will you be financially responsible for any errors and omissions due to architectural or engineering or code compliant errors?

How can I be certain that I am getting the most competitive pricing on my project?

What type of contract will you use between the owner, your consultants, subcontractors, and suppliers?

Will you be responsible for the kitchen equipment, seating, furnishings and special equipment requirements of the building?

Building Program: Once the construction is selected, initiate workshops to develop a comprehensive project requirement guide. These workshops are very important to the final integrity of your project. It is during these workshops that all of the project requirements will be confirmed and satisfied. Costly change orders occur during a project, because ministry needs were left out during the design phase. If you spend the time to look at each facet of your project during these workshops, then you can practically eliminate change orders during the construction phase of the project.

Tests & Reports: Soils testing, EPA reports, land topography and surveys, zoning requirements, site electric, drainage, sanitary and service requirements, and other pertinent information relating to the project should be gathered at this time and factored into the project budget.

Financial's: Prepare financials as referenced previously and distribute to banks to determine the borrowing strength of the church. This along with “cash in hand” or the success of a stewardship program, will determine the preliminary budget for the building. Share with building committee.

Stewardship Consultant: Interview and select a stewardship consultant to begin planning the stewardship campaign. Make certain that this committee governs their progress to match the other components of the building process. Plan a campaign schedule that is compatible with the other consultants.

Define preliminary square footages: Have the construction team prepare an approximate square footage requirement to meet the needs of the project as defined by the workshops and reflected in the master programming guide. This is very important to maintain the integrity of the budget. A square footage cost range should be developed and agreed to ahead of time. Upon review, the square footage number can be turned into a preliminary estimated budget amount and balanced with the project requirements. This then can determine overall estimated project cost.
Cost Versus need Workshop: If the estimated project cost is too high, then the needs can be reevaluated during this workshop. Ministry requirements are now balanced against financial strength. Phasing of the project may be necessary to incorporate all the necessary ministry requirements. This planning stage and the preliminary plan can now be designed to meet both needs and budget.

Preliminary Plan: Develop a preliminary plan that reflects the scope of work as defined by the final planning guide prepared during the cost versus need workshop.
Plan Review workshop: This is a very important workshop necessary for all involved ministry leaders. Along with the building committee, they can review and give final approval to the preliminary plans. It may be necessary to have two or possibly three workshops to develop a final preliminary plan that satisfies all the ministry and budget requirements. Take your time, this planning and review process will eliminate costly errors during the construction phase of your building program. Once satisfied, sign off on your final preliminary prints.

3D Animated Video: From the approved preliminary plans, a 3d animated video can be produced to show the congregation the final approved plan. It can also be used in the stewardship campaign.

Funding secured: Review the projections of cash in hand, the stewardship campaign and borrowing strength to determine financial strength. Get a letter of commitment from the selected bank prior to committing to working drawings.

Working drawings: During this phase of the project the various committees should be working with the various consultants (Stewardship, Audio/visual/theatrical lighting, decorating, seating, etc) to make certain these items are factored into the final working drawings. A critical path schedule should be developed to make certain that the architects and engineers have the proper information prior to the time it’s needed.

Contracts signed: Construction contract signed and the project can begin.
Groundbreaking ceremony: This ceremony should be scheduled just prior to equipment move-in and project start. Lots of excitement will be generated.

Construction Started: Church should turn it over to the selected professionals to now do their job.

Posted on: 01/01/2001

by Ray Robinson, VP Sales & Marketing JCDM Church Builders

Design Directives
Expert interpretations of 21st century church building

By Ray Robinson, VP Sales & Marketing JCDM Church Builders

Technology.
Education.
Administration.
Recreation.

When it comes to designing and building a new facility today, experts agree--these are the buzz words. Here, three industry experts share their takes on the past, present and future of church design and construction as these key elements apply.

Ministry + Adaptive Technology = The Future

One of the greatest technological advances in history was the printing press, and this invention had great impact for churches too. The age of the printing press made the Word of God available to the masses in an unprecedented way, enabling them to read and interpret it for themselves. In essence, this invention enabled people to become participants rather than simple spectators shackled to the interpretive presentations of others. This interactive process introduced masses of people to a broader concept and understanding of God and gave birth to enlightened scholars. In their quest for deeper learning, churches witnessed a spiritual awakening that would ultimately have a major impact upon both the spirituality and the facilities that house it. Thus, the church began to adapt to the societal changes taking place and it continues to do so today.

I believe three trends--technological production and educational centers, administrative facilities, and recreation/social centers--will have the greatest impact on both renovation and new construction in the church world in the near future.

Technological production centers
On the whole, pastors are spending more time in study and personal spiritual enrichment. The method of their sermonic delivery is itself a form of techno-evangelism; it has become vogue to use the latest in presentation software to present gospel messages to constituencies. Whereas particular styles of delivery might be considered a passing fad, the trend toward using technology is here to stay. The signs are clear: multiple slide projectors used extensively 10 years ago have given way to laptop computers, electronic Bibles and professionally enhanced PowerPoint presentations. This gradual shift to technology has had major impact on church design and construction since the '80s. As early as 1987, our company began incorporating a computer with a 286 processor and a keyboard at the pulpit into its designs. Though today it could be considered crude, at the time it was cutting edge in that it enabled the pastor to access the hard drive and display sermon notes. In this particular application, the pastor used a flat monitor strategically placed atop a standard overhead projector to display the image on a large screen.

Times have certainly changed. Today, the chancel or platform area of the church is the product of a hefty transformation. What used to be a place where simple Christmas and Easter dramas and children's plays were performed is now a complete theatrical production stage. This area of the church often uses theatrical curtains and rigging; technologically advanced stage, sound and lighting packages; and special floors with hydraulically controlled platforms that can be raised and lowered. In some churches, special rigging even enables people dressed as angels to "fly" across the room. Architects, engineers and builders are struggling to keep up with the voracious technological appetite of the 21st century church. All major systems of the building are being affected, including the structural elements. Stage lighting requirements impact the electrical, cooling and mechanical systems. The ability to fly angels, for example, requires special point loading that will certainly increase the costs of the structural package. High-tech stage lighting alone requires additional electrical amperage, increasing the cost of a facility's electrical system. The additional heat generated by thousands of watts of lighting requires several tons of additional cooling, further upping the cost of cooling the church.

Educational centers
Our architects are currently designing facilities to take advantage of distant learning technology that once was available only to large secular and corporate clients. In the church world, pastors can use this same technology to bring multiple congregations together.

For example, one of our mega church clients planted several daughter churches at different locations throughout the city, and the architectural department is designing this facility to support two-way interaction between them. Two-way connectivity will play a major role in evangelizing the world since children of the current generation are being raised in an environment in which interactive television, video and computer games play a dominant role. The two-way trend has also carried over into the design of new church facilities. Many of ACB's designs include Sunday School classrooms that feature large-screen monitors with computer-generated image display capability and Surround Sound. These rooms are being designed for age-appropriateness using all kinds of models, from multimedia-enhanced college lecture halls to nurseries equipped with the latest technology geared toward children. Learning labs using the latest in virtual technology have the greatest impact on Christian education right now. Before long, students will be able to enter virtual realistic worlds and interact with Bible characters. A young person in the not-so-distant future might assume the role of young David and go down into the valley to fight a virtual Goliath.

Administrative facilities
We in the building industry are seeing a large percentage of our church clients using paid staff to run the day-to-day operations of the church. This makes it imperative to design administrative areas that tap into workers' creative abilities. Administrative areas run the gamut, resembling hotel lobbies, living rooms, conference centers, lounges and coffee bars. Large-screen televisions, along with computer networks, are used to promote interactivity and productivity among staff members both in-house and off-campus. When it comes to conference centers, the focus is on true interactivity using the latest in multimedia technology that helps churches with large staffs fulfill their missions.

Recreation and social centers
The church now plays a vital role in ministering to the spiritual, physical and social needs of its members as well as the community-at-large. Several of the large projects we are currently working on were designed to reflect this new ministry (and consequently, design) philosophy. Recreational spaces now include running tracks, the occasional bowling alley, rock climbing walls and Nautilus workout rooms. These spaces are more consistent with health and fitness centers than the simple church gymnasiums of the past.

Sanctuaries Evolve with the World Around Them

Posted on: 01/01/2000

by Ray Robinson

Sanctuaries Evolve with the World Around Them

By Ray Robinson

Church design in the 21st century should facilitate multiple ministries--with style.

One of the greatest technological advances in history was the invention of the printing press. This had a great impact upon the church because it made the Word of God available to the masses in a way unprecedented in the history of the church. This interactive process, introduced masses of people to a broader concept and understanding of God. Individual study gave birth to scholars who were enlightened to the will and plan of God. In their quest for deeper learning, a spiritual awakening occurred that would ultimately have a major impact upon both the spiritual church and the physical faculties that would house them. Thus, the church began to adapt to the societal changes that were taking place around them.

In the postmodern church of the 21st century, technological advances will continue to govern church architecture. Over the last 200 years we have witnessed a gradual metamorphosis from the great cathedrals of Christopher Wren to the box architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Churches reflected the personalities and styles of their designers instead of the mission and purpose of the function for which they existed. Church design for the 21st century must be focused to create edifices specifically designed to assist in the overall mission of the church, one of multiplicity. Therefore, these must be versatile enough to adapt to the multiple uses that the church ministries will require of the facility.

Sanctuary design changes

Presentation technology has brought a greater range of communicative ability to the ministry team of the church than ever before. The new sanctuary should be equipped with a range of multimedia tools including high-quality projectors and multiple screens. In Microsoft's chairman Bill Gates' home are special programs that display digital art that is activated by smart pins that sense the mood or identity of those who pass by. As far out as this seems, the famous stained glass window that serves as a backdrop for the choir in a church in Hillsongs, Australia, follows with similar technology. This window is perpetually changing as a computer adjusts the colors to fit the mood and music of the service.

Multiple projectors will be used to display several languages simultaneously so ethnic and linguistic barriers can be removed. Closed caption software displayed on large but discrete monitors will assist in helping the hearing impaired enjoy the service. Light control will be governed by smart windows that are gas-filled and can change from transparent to opaque at the flick of a switch.

Multipurpose facilities evolve

As futuristic as the technology inside may be, the exterior needs to keep up too.

Churches will become focused on a holistic approach to spiritual development. We are currently designing facilities that incorporate bowling alleys, racquetball courts, cafes, workout centers, interactive theaters and video walls for computer game tournaments. Some will also include rock-climbing walls, therapeutic health spas with various services and on-site medical clinics as well as full service banking and a myriad of other services.

Educational space changes

This is a very interactive-oriented generation. Every room would be equipped with large screen monitors capable of computer-generated images and surround sound.

Churches with Christian schools will be designed to interact with the students' laptops. When the student arrives, infra- red sensors will automatically download their homework assignments as well as any communication or correspondence from the teacher or student. The students will have all their academic tools loaded on their laptops. They will do all their homework assignments and then download to the school network. The students will have access to a wide network of libraries and research engines.

Rooms will be designed according to ages, ranging from rooms similar to college lecture halls equipped with multimedia technology to nurseries equipped with the latest technology just for children.

Learning labs using the latest in virtual technology would allow children to enter virtual realistic worlds designed to allow them to interact with Bible characters.

Rooms equipped with satellite technology will allow complete two-way interactivity to connect other facilities.

Administrative space evolves

Church administrative areas should represent spaces designed to tap into the creative abilities of the church staff. Spaces will be designed like hotel lobbies, living rooms, conference centers, lounges andcoffee bars. Large screens and computer networks will promote interactivity to both in-house and off-campus staff. Conference centers will be designed for true interactivity with the latest in multimedia technology.

The advent of computer technology will force architects and engineers to adapt their buildings to meet the growing hunger of churches to use all the technology available to them. Without a doubt church architecture in the 21st century will change to meet the demands of this new generation.

Ray Robinson is VP of Sales & Marketing for JCDM Church Builders, Joplin MO, a full service design build firm.

Construction Clinic With Ray Robinson

Posted on: 08/01/1999

Construction Clinic With Ray Robinson

Ray Robinson is VP of Sales & Marketing for JCDM Church Builders, Joplin MO, a full service design build firm. The company provides a multitude of construction needs including site evaluation, architectural and engineering design, 3-D renderings and walk-throughs, general contracting, construction management and financial plans.

CB: What is the most common mistake churches make when they embark on a building project?

RR: The greatest mistake is underestimating the time required to properly plan, design and build the new facilities. This occurs when the church waits until their internal growth (lack of seats) or external growth (lack of parking facilities) forces them into fast tracking their design/build process. Normally, under these conditions the building committee is placed under pressure to get through their process in order to meet the present growth needs of the church. The church needs to understand that it takes from three to six months to meet with each department of the church. This would include the senior pastor and his ministry team to the janitorial staff and everyone in between. This would not include possible time for land acquisition, zoning requirements, site impact studies, required EPA environmental audits, stewardship campaigns and other major items that need to be completed prior to any drawings or ideals from the architectural or design build firm. Project management is a must and required for this pre-design phase.

CB: What is the most common cause of project delays and how can it be avoided?

RR: Project delays are the result of a failure in the project management systems. Typically the contractor is blamed. However, project delays are usually a combination of events that have not happened the way they were projected to happen. In their book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Project Management, authors Sunny and Kim Baker give four reasons for project failure, another term for project delays:

• Not enough resources available to complete the project
• Not enough time is approved to complete the project.
• Unclear project expectations lead to inappropriate or incomplete results.
• Disagreements among principles regarding the expectations for the project lead to dissatisfaction with the end results.

If ample consideration is paid to each of the above issues, then most delays can be avoided or eliminated.

CB: In your experience, where do churches misdirect their funds?

RR: Most churches prematurely hire their consultants prior to understanding the scope of their project. They are more concerned about the cosmetic and superficial elements of their building and do not spend enough time giving thought to the structural and mechanical systems of their project.

CB: If you could offer one piece of advice to church building committees, what would it be?

RR: Take the time to understand all the necessary components required for the execution of a successful project. Have a planning workshop prior to the start of any anticipated project.