(Article by Building Committee member Richard Cleary, as published in the June 2016 newsletter.)
More than 70 members of the congregation attended a presentation on Saturday, May 7, for a first look at the schematic design for the renovation and expansion of our campus. Al York, principal of McKinney York Architects, and Aaron Taylor, project architect, guided us through the project and answered questions. The drawings they presented are on display in Howson Hall. Please feel free to share your thoughts with our building team: Meg Barnhouse, Richard Cleary, Chris Jimmerson, Julie Lipton, Brian Moore, and Sylvia Pope.
Our desire to provide a welcoming environment for new and old members alike takes us on a challenging path of renovation and expansion. McKinney York’s schematic design is the first phase of design. It is their statement of direction based on consideration of our wishes, the constraints and opportunities presented by existing conditions, code requirements, and our means. A significant portion of our budget will be devoted to the unglamorous but necessary work: meet modern building codes for life safety and accessibility; address life-cycle issues of aging heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment; refresh a tired kitchen; and replace the sorry bathrooms serving the sanctuary. Much of this work has to be done regardless of anything else we do. More dramatic contributions to the welcoming spirit of our church will be an expansion of the sanctuary, new entrance lobbies, an expanded gallery, a possible extension of Howson Hall, and a master plan and improvements for landscape, including the playgrounds. The religious education wing will receive new interior wall finishes and cosmetic improvements.
Construction costs in Austin are high, and McKinney York has advised us that we are hard against the budget raised by our capital campaign. Our next step is to hire a construction manager (contractor) to work closely with the architects and the build team to refine the cost estimates. Once we are comfortable with the alignment of goals and means, the architects will proceed with design development and, subsequently, construction documentation to refine our plans and prepare them for review by regulatory agencies and bidding by construction firms. The anticipated start of construction will be in late spring 2017.
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The sanctuary will be expanded to the north to provide additional seating and an expansion of the platform to accommodate the choir and musicians. The former choir loft will become seating. New lobbies on the north and south will offer more spacious and welcoming entrances, and the lobby restrooms will be rebuilt. The gallery will be renovated. Howson Hall improvements will include storage and a possible expansion to the north. The kitchen will be enlarged. The structural repairs required along the walls of the Religious Education wing will result in new interior finishes.
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This view from the rear of the expanded sanctuary shows the proposed candle wall and, behind it, sanctuary garden, which will be similar in character to what we have now. An angled window above the new choir area will add eastern light, and a smaller candle wall will be opened along the ramp (now a hidden corridor) behind the organ console. The rectangles with landscape scenes on the wall behind the pulpit are tentative locations for video screens. The slender columns are structural supports that are buried in the existing wall and must be retained. The column behind the podium appears closer that it is. Seating will be arranged to minimize conflicts with sight lines.
