What to Expect
What you'll see and not see when we move
into our new building
As the October 28 date approaches to move into the
new building, excitement and anticipation are growing. What can we expect to
see and hear in the first few weeks? The Building Committee described plans for
the site (driveways, landscaping, site lighting) in a previous blog entry. This article shares the
committee's expectations for the building
interior.
Flooring - While most of the classrooms will be floored with vinyl tile, the bathrooms and kitchen with ceramic tile, and the staff offices and library with carpet, about half the building (including the sanctuary, fellowship hall and corridors) will initially have unstained concrete flooring. Later this year, the concrete flooring will be stripped, sanded, buffed, sealed, and polished.
Pipe Organ - The pipe organ has been renovated, new pipes have been added, and electronic stops have been installed. Needing time for construction dust to settle and to avoid the busy holiday season, the committee and organ contractor have agreed to install the organ in the sanctuary during late January and early February.
Classroom Furnishings - New education building space is about double that in the old building. Most 2nd floor classrooms (older children, youth, adults) will have sparse furnishings following move-in. Priorities for additional classroom furniture will be identified after we have "lived" in this new space for a few weeks.
2nd Floor Use - Due to fire marshal restrictions, the south part of the 2nd floor level in the education building can't be used initially (except for storage). The restriction will be lifted when a fire exit stairway is built near the south end of the 2nd floor, which must wait on demolition of the existing education building. Meanwhile, barricades will be placed across 2nd floor corridors and doorways to limit access to restricted areas.
Sound System - The new sanctuary has been designed to provide outstanding acoustics for both the spoken word and for music (not an easy task). A new sound system is scheduled to be installed in late October in the sanctuary, surrounding corridors, and fellowship hall, including a variety of microphones, loudspeakers, sound mixers, amplifiers, and controls. We expect it will take some time to get this new sound system "tuned" for best performance, and to get our ears attuned to hearing the quality of these new sounds.
Chancel Platform - Our chancel platform is being designed and built by Mark Daves. It's possible that some of it will not be complete until late November.
Sanctuary Seating - The committee has ordered 30 new choir chairs and 140 new congregational chairs for the sanctuary, with a design similar to our current chairs and mid-October delivery. While the new chair fabric will continue to be "royal" blue, the pattern will be different from existing chairs. Additional fabric has been purchased to recover the old chairs, but during the interim, the new and old chairs won't look exactly alike.
Kitchen - The new kitchen will be unfinished when we move in, with only the serving window and counter, vent hood, range and utility connections installed. Later this year, the kitchen will be completed with cabinets, countertops, shelving, sinks, and appliances.
Glass Wall - The east wall of the sanctuary (facing Preston Road) will be glass, providing a visual connection between the congregation inside and the world outside. The wall will be covered with a curtain which can be opened or closed, depending on the design of the worship service or performance. The open-curtain view should be particularly eye-catching at night, with lights on in the sanctuary. Installation timing for the curtain is uncertain at this point.
Site Development - As described in a recent blog, new driveways, new parking spaces, additional site lighting and landscaping will be constructed in the late Fall/Winter after move-in. This will include sowing Rye grass in bare earth areas, to be replaced by Bermuda grass in the Spring.
The skylight surrounding the cross has been completed and the consensus is that it looks "stunning". The architectural structure of the white cross, skylight, and stainless steel support cables within the deep plum-colored ceiling truly gives Northaven's new sanctuary a "Sense of the Holy".
Flooring - While most of the classrooms will be floored with vinyl tile, the bathrooms and kitchen with ceramic tile, and the staff offices and library with carpet, about half the building (including the sanctuary, fellowship hall and corridors) will initially have unstained concrete flooring. Later this year, the concrete flooring will be stripped, sanded, buffed, sealed, and polished.
Pipe Organ - The pipe organ has been renovated, new pipes have been added, and electronic stops have been installed. Needing time for construction dust to settle and to avoid the busy holiday season, the committee and organ contractor have agreed to install the organ in the sanctuary during late January and early February.
Classroom Furnishings - New education building space is about double that in the old building. Most 2nd floor classrooms (older children, youth, adults) will have sparse furnishings following move-in. Priorities for additional classroom furniture will be identified after we have "lived" in this new space for a few weeks.
2nd Floor Use - Due to fire marshal restrictions, the south part of the 2nd floor level in the education building can't be used initially (except for storage). The restriction will be lifted when a fire exit stairway is built near the south end of the 2nd floor, which must wait on demolition of the existing education building. Meanwhile, barricades will be placed across 2nd floor corridors and doorways to limit access to restricted areas.
Sound System - The new sanctuary has been designed to provide outstanding acoustics for both the spoken word and for music (not an easy task). A new sound system is scheduled to be installed in late October in the sanctuary, surrounding corridors, and fellowship hall, including a variety of microphones, loudspeakers, sound mixers, amplifiers, and controls. We expect it will take some time to get this new sound system "tuned" for best performance, and to get our ears attuned to hearing the quality of these new sounds.
Chancel Platform - Our chancel platform is being designed and built by Mark Daves. It's possible that some of it will not be complete until late November.
Sanctuary Seating - The committee has ordered 30 new choir chairs and 140 new congregational chairs for the sanctuary, with a design similar to our current chairs and mid-October delivery. While the new chair fabric will continue to be "royal" blue, the pattern will be different from existing chairs. Additional fabric has been purchased to recover the old chairs, but during the interim, the new and old chairs won't look exactly alike.
Kitchen - The new kitchen will be unfinished when we move in, with only the serving window and counter, vent hood, range and utility connections installed. Later this year, the kitchen will be completed with cabinets, countertops, shelving, sinks, and appliances.
Glass Wall - The east wall of the sanctuary (facing Preston Road) will be glass, providing a visual connection between the congregation inside and the world outside. The wall will be covered with a curtain which can be opened or closed, depending on the design of the worship service or performance. The open-curtain view should be particularly eye-catching at night, with lights on in the sanctuary. Installation timing for the curtain is uncertain at this point.
Site Development - As described in a recent blog, new driveways, new parking spaces, additional site lighting and landscaping will be constructed in the late Fall/Winter after move-in. This will include sowing Rye grass in bare earth areas, to be replaced by Bermuda grass in the Spring.
The skylight surrounding the cross has been completed and the consensus is that it looks "stunning". The architectural structure of the white cross, skylight, and stainless steel support cables within the deep plum-colored ceiling truly gives Northaven's new sanctuary a "Sense of the Holy".
Posted: Monday - October 17, 2005 at 11:55 AM |
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Published On: May 05, 2008 04:54 PM
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Published On: May 05, 2008 04:54 PM