LCUMC

Design Concepts

Communications Team

April 2008

Overview

In today’s world, technology is an integral part of our lives and has become an effective method for churches to communicate with their members, prospective members, and their community.  We recognize that LCUMC is making a bold commitment toward our new facility and that it is necessary to balance the immediate and near term needs against meeting our budget limitations.  Toward these thoughts, the Communications Team is balancing our desires against the budget reality. 

In order to accomplish this while still keeping technology growth realizable, this document is proposing what we believe to be a reasonable initial capability while insuring the physical infrastructure is in place to allow technology growth as the congregation desires it.  Therefore, physical floor space, proper power availability, and lots of cables and cable runs will be emphasized.  Small considerations such as lighting, acoustics, camera views, and projector angles can reap great returns in future growth.

Approach

We recognize that this initial effort is to establish a baseline for an architect.  However, in order to fully understand what the architectural requirements are, we have included detailed information that may be more applicable to the design phase.  Therefore, several TBDs (To Be Determined) remain in the document where the data is not needed by the architect.

The Communications Team is proposing the following

Worship Center

We are assuming one Worship Center that will accommodate Traditional, Contemporary, and Blended services.  Modern churches include the capability to enhance services via good lighting and lighting control, acoustics oriented toward traditional services, contemporary services, and performances (different requirements), modern sound systems, projection systems, and the ability to record audio and video.  The heart of this capability is a Control Room.

• Physical aspects:  The control room should be at the back of the sanctuary, facing forward.  It must be isolated physically from the congregation (i.e. not in a balcony shared with congregation).  It must be open to the sanctuary so that sound can be monitored, but must have sound absorption acoustic properties so that the controllers can communicate.  The ability to close this opening may be required for security, depending upon the final layout.  The room must have a lock on the door(s) so that expensive equipment can be protected, and equipment settings preserved.  The floor level of the room needs to be elevated approximately 4 to 5 feet above the sanctuary floor in front of it so that video and photography can be performed without obstructions and good sound quality from the sanctuary is heard.  The room needs to be centered.  Minimum floor space is 300 sq. feet and the minimum frontal area should be 15 feet.  Power requirements are TBD kilowatts.  All power must be on circuits dedicated to this room.  Power should be available at the wall and on the floor.  Separate air conditioning is required so that week day work in the room can be accomplished without air conditioning the entire sanctuary.   A phone should be included in the control room.
• Audio system: The system should be stereo.  Audio connections should be at a multitude (TBD) of locations throughout the sanctuary, especially in the chancel area. These connections include microphones and speakers.  Removable monitor speakers should be available on the chancel and any other performance areas for performances and contemporary praise bands, and should include capability for ‘personal mixer systems’ (such as the Avion product).  An audio support system for hearing impaired should be included.   A wireless microphone system is required to support pastors, speakers, lay readers, etc., and a few performers/singers (about 10 – TBD).   THE FOLLOWING IS A POTENTIAL DISCUSSION ITEM.  Acceptable Sanctuary acoustics can potentially be in direct conflict with other worship needs and coordination is required to insure that good acoustics are available for all sanctuary uses.  The architect must have an acoustical consultant.  Speaker placement for the congregation is a critical part of this activity.
• Lighting system:  The sanctuary should have controllable lighting suitable for all service types and suitable for videography.  A lighting control system should be in the A/V control room, but normal control at the floor, fore and aft in the sanctuary must operate when the A/V lighting control panel is off.  Fixed lights plus stage lighting/spot lights are needed.  All lighting should be of the same technology such that the same color spectrum is produced.  The color temperature should be suitable for videography and photography (TBD).  Remote control spots are a growth item and the physical, power, and control cables should be included.  THE FOLLOWING IS A POTENTIAL DISCUSSION ITEM.  External windows can have a positive or negative effect on videography and photography, such as window placement relative to sun angles, as well as colored windows.  We need to be a part of the discussion on sanctuary windows.  The architect and/or building designer needs to be instructed to address this issue.  The lighting system implementation is an area that potentially will be under two separate contracts – building contractor for the actual lights, and the A/V contractor for lighting control.  This is a potential contractor problem area.
• Projection system:  The projection system consists of at least two projectors with large screens (size dependent upon sanctuary dimensions) at the front of the sanctuary and sufficient video monitors facing the chancel so that the pastors, speakers, and choir can see what the congregation sees.  Review of several churches has led us to go ahead and specify that these should be Rear Screen projectors.  These projectors and monitors will be driven by a computer in the Control Room and capable of displaying PowerPoint, Easy Worship, Media Shout, etc. type data and video.  It is desirable that the projectors and the projection screens be aligned orthogonally in all axis so that parallax correction is minimized.  The projections must be easily viewable in all lighting conditions.
• Video System:  Video may be a growth item if cost proves prohibitive, and it is very important to accommodate video in the sanctuary design.  There should be attach points in the sanctuary for remote control cameras, along with video and control lines. (TBD).  Shooting video from the control room floor must be accommodated.
• Audio/Video/Data (projection)/Lighting Control: The control room will need to have an audio console for audio control, a video console and related equipment (TBD), a computer system for projection control, and a lighting control panel.  Audio amplifiers, power conditioners, recording equipment, wireless microphone control, hearing impaired system control, and TBD equipment will also be required.  The audio amplifiers may be located at a different location if need be.
• Remote audio/video:  There are key locations (TBD) throughout the church where it would be desirable to be able to listen to and view the service.  Audio and video should be available in the narthex, nursery, baby cry room, office suite, chapel, etc.  Additionally, an overflow capability in the Family Life Center is a growth item, and wiring should be included for audio and video.
•  Television:  A wiring path to the roof from the control room should be included to allow the addition of satellite television or a local TV antenna. 
• A/V editing/duplication:  A growth item is equipment for audio duplication, video editing, DVD/CD duplications, etc.  Floor space, power, and cabling for this capability is required.

Family Life Center/Education/Office, etc.

• Family Life Center Audio/Video.  We are assuming that the FLC will at times be used for worship and performances.  We envision a growth item as a sanctuary overflow facility with audio/video projection.  We also assume that there will be a stage area separate from the regular floor area (that can be isolated, at least via a curtain).   We would like to see a minimization of external windows with relatively easy way to shade any sunlight entering.  The following are growth items for which infrastructure should be in place:
  • Lighting:  Similar to current facility, with capability for spot light growth item.
  • Projector system:  Growth item, but the design should consider dual screen locations with dual projector locations.  Front projection is OK.
  • Remote Sanctuary link:  Growth item should include audio and video links to Sanctuary.
  • Performance stage
  • An A/V storage room.
• Sunday school rooms / meeting rooms
  • Growth item: location in each room set up for a wall mounted TV/monitor. The TV/Monitor should have coax link back to office area. Ethernet links should be provided for future growth.  Power and data connections must be high on the wall behind the monitor attachment, with at least one per room.
  • Lots of power outlets on each wall.
• Electronic Bulletin Board System (EBB).  At key locations throughout ALL buildings, flat screen monitors should be included to allow PowerPoint type presentations, and video of the sanctuary service to be presented.  These monitors will located in hallways, foyers, etc. and power and data connections should be located immediately behind the monitors.  The architect should consider the placement of these monitors as part of overall design.
• Paging system for parents/nursery. 
• Web maintenance (work station, etc.)
  • Desktop workstation, dedicated to communications tasks.
  • Location in the office area
• Signs
  • Internal:  All rooms have signs.  Signs throughout building helping people find any room from any area.
  • External:  Move our Cross and Flame from old building.  An electronic sign would be nice, but minimally a sign of the size of our current external sign.  Needs work.  We need signs helping visitors find parking, visitor parking, and identify directions to the Sanctuary, Office, and Sunday School/Meeting rooms.
• Office space (parts may be physically part of A/V control center)
  • File storage:  Storage for equipment manuals and Communications records.
  • Data (A/V/IT) storage:  Storage area for archival CDs/DVDs, Video tapes, and blank media
  • Equipment storage:  Storage for TV cameras, spare equipment, etc.
  • Communications activity work area floor space and associated storage – 100 sq. feet.

                                                        Contract questions:

Our communications with some of the churches who have recently built new facilities indicates that multiple contracts were used – building contractor, audio/video contractor, and information technology contractor.  If we choose to go this route (which the Communications Team recommends), then careful thought must be given to how the work is delineated.  We would like to be closely involved in this process.