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Importance Of Video

December 29th, 2011

Videos are an effective tool to show many of the projects we have had the privilege to work on over the years. Furthermore, videos are also a great way for you to market your church, faith, and building to current members and others in the community. Eden Religious Facilities is available to help put together a video for your church. You can use the video to share your beliefs or however you see fit after your construction project. This is a resource we offer, believe in and have available at your disposal. Eden Religious Facilities is happy to help you share more about your church in this way with others.

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Music, Acoustics, and Worship

November 30th, 2011

Music is an important aspect of worship for most churches. For some congregations worshipping with music is a large part of their meeting time while for others it is much less of a focus. Whether your church chooses music that is traditional or contemporary, the quality of sound matters to all. A sanctuary’s design truly impacts the sounds of vocals and instruments. This is an important part of the design process Eden Religious Facilities oversees with all church construction projects. Also, acoustics is different for the spoken word and music further compounding the complexity of acoustics.

The impact of music in churches was recently a topic of discussion in a USA Today article found here. How different churches utilize music tends to depend on their denomination and sometimes church size but the ultimate theme is music is used to worship and praise God.

We know the importance of sound in a place of worship and we work with your team to create the best meeting place in terms of acoustics. For some projects we even suggest that a sound engineer be included to review the building design and ensure sound is tuned to the best quality.

 

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Winter and Church Construction

November 3rd, 2011

Winter is approaching (many cities got snow this past weekend!) and as colder weather arrives it is important to plan accordingly for church construction projects continuing into this new season.  This is specifically important for areas where winter weather is below freezing, as schedule and cost can be adversely affected.

The first concern is the frozen ground.  In general, foundations and slabs need to be poured on UN-frozen soil. As such, if the soil is frozen, it has to be thawed (which invariably generates a lot of “excess” water (mud)).

There is a significant advantage to get foundations in BEFORE the ground freezes. Frost line (the depth to which the ground will freeze) varies by location.   As an example, the frost line in Indianapolis is approximately 30″ deep.

If foundations are installed prior to frozen ground, much construction can occur during the winter months, albeit typically in a less efficient manner.

The other potentially significant cost to building during the winter months is temporary heat:

1) to “tent” an area in which to work (masonry walls is a typical example), or

2) to heat the inside of an enclosed building such that work can carry on inside the building irrespective of weather outside.

Outside construction is always curtailed to some extent.  Some phases such as asphalt, site concrete, and landscaping must wait for STEADY, higher “spring” temperatures.

It is not impossible to build during the winter months in inclement weather, but it requires an additional level of scheduling and sequencing which the team at Eden Religious Facilities knows and understands.  We oversee that for you as the guardians for your church building project.

 

 

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Using The Right Products and Systems

October 12th, 2011

We consider ourselves the guardians of each and every project.  This is not just a title we give ourselves for projects but a true feeling we have about the entire project from the start with fundraising, to planning and design, and to the final build.  Using the right kinds of products and systems-those that are tested and true- is something we always do to ensure the buildings we build are with proven systems.  Having seen projects used with the wrong materials and having gone in to re-build these actual buildings, we know how important it is to build with the appropriate products and systems to save you time, money, and concern.   It has been seen…pioneers get shot!

 

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Church Planning Tips

October 6th, 2011

What does it take to build or renovate a church facility?  A lot of prayer, planning and preparation goes into the construction of a church building. In over 20 years of church construction experience, the team members at Eden Religious Facilities have seen it all in terms of good and bad planning for religious facility construction.



The top three things we suggest to think about when planning:

1. Projected growth of your congregation and the associated physical plant (square footage) for a long term plan
2. Compare projected cost vs. financial capabilities: current and projected
3. Hire the right TEAM: Don’t spend a dime until you have the right team on board to help define needs, scenarios, and finances

Start planning your new religious facility by first using our financial and space calculator to see what kind of resources you might need.

 

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Wood, Concrete or Steel: Church Construction Materials

September 22nd, 2011

No church building project is the same.  Whether the project is a new build or an addition/remodel to an existing building, different materials will be used according to the cost and structural needs of the project.  Wood, concrete, or steel are often the choices we decide between as each have different cost ramifications as well as uses.

Because it continues to move, wood has height and weight ramifications and beyond 60-foot tresses, steel will be used as the material of choice.  Eden Religious Facilities works with the team we create with the structural engineer and the design team alongside you to review the costs and the specific look for a project.  This is another reason why a team is important in the construction of a church facility.  All of these things matter when designing and planning a church building and deciding between wood, steel, or concrete is one of them.

 

 

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Project Delivery Methods

September 13th, 2011

There are always many different ways to approach a project and to solve a problem.  There are three specific methods to design and organize a church construction project that Eden Religious Facilities uses to bring a project from concept to completion.

One of the three methods is design, bid, build which is a more traditional method where a church hires an architect to complete drawings.  This process doesn’t allow the construction industry much input if any at all in this design process.  This can be nerve-wracking for a church on bid day to hope the contractor’s bid fits their budget.

Another method is construction management where at the beginning both the architect and the project contractor are brought together in the initial planning phases.  This allows for input from both parties in the process of designing and planning a church building although there is still a bid day.  Construction management is a type of project delivery Eden Religious Facilities prefers as well as design build which is the third method of project delivery.

Design build allows the power of a team to truly work together to complete the design, planning, and building process for a church facility.  The architect, the entire design team, and the contractor are all on one team together to design, plan and build the church facility from the get go.  This one team working together from the start allows for multiple viewpoints to be shared in this important church building project process early on to later to mesh effectively in a well-designed and on budget church facility.

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Building a Catholic High School

August 31st, 2011

Building a high school is a completely different kind of design and construction project than building a church facility.  The team at Eden Religious Facilities experienced this difference when we built Saint Theodore Guerin High School and Chapel, the first new Catholic high school in Indiana in 30 years.

Although the high school may be religious in foundation, the membership or clientele of a school varies compared to a church which makes for a different construction project.  A high school has only “proposed/potential” membership whereas a church has a more well-defined membership which is vital for fundraising.

The biggest challenge with building Guerin Catholic High School came down to fundraising, as privately funded projects are inherently difficult to launch.  All cost categories create a project budget that is much higher than the “sticks and bricks,” thus creating a somewhat intimidating fundraising goal. Another challenge is to then raise the funds from a diverse group of stakeholders, both personal and corporate which creates a matrix of fundraising opportunities and challenges.  Finally, then “marrying fund raising, fund availability and construction phases” creates a complicated cash flow scenario in a school building project.

Stewardship was critical to the success of this school construction project.   From Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Finance, only the donated time, talent and treasure of each of these disciplines allowed the project to become a reality.  Nine Parishes working together to create what no one Parish could have on its own along with the incredible leadership from the Diocese Leaders from the Bishop down helped Guerin High School become an amazing reality.  Eden Religious Facilities was blessed being able to help build this project.



St. Theodore Guerin Catholic High School

-122,000 sq. ft

-70 acres

-1^st new Catholic high school in Indiana in 30 years

 

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Where Is My Cathedral?

August 25th, 2011

It makes sense that there really aren’t large-scale cathedrals built today. Funding isn’t what it used to be when it was based off a country’s wealth and prestige like when Westminster Abbey or St. Paul’s Cathedral were built years ago.  We work within your financial capabilities to design and construct a church feasible for your congregation.

Creating unique and special places is something your members care about as well as the Eden Religious Facilities team.  Together then we define the scope of the project to successfully bring reality to building the best cathedral worship space for you.  Understanding the full range of needs for a religious facility building, we have the experience it takes to design and construct a cathedral in a today world and on a today budget.

 

 

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The Design Build Process at Eden

July 27th, 2011

Eden Religious Facilities’ preferred building method is design build.  To offer the best (and most practical for you) in church planning, design, and construction we feel that the design build process we use allows for the most customized planning of your building. We at Eden Religious Facilities know that each architect brings a different set of talents to the table fit for some churches and not for others.

The design build church planning process we use allows us to choose one of five preselected architectural firms to work on a project or part of a project depending on its scope.  This customization allows for your church design to be best fit for you and your needs.

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