Building Plans Update

by Gordon Keating, Co-Chair

The Building Plans subcommittee has kept busy throughout the spring and summer, working with Mullen Heller Architects as they develop the conceptual design for our new building. After gathering congregational input at work sessions with the architects in winter, the committee met about every two weeks with Mullen Heller to define the program plan for spaces we’ll need in the building, based on the Charge to the Architects prepared last year. As the floor plans developed, we discussed a variety of ways to keep costs down, including the use of a combination of pre-engineered building components and traditional “stick-built” construction. In this way, we can use practical (and good-looking) construction for a RE/office wing and save our money to create an excellent custom sanctuary and fellowship wing. We especially appreciate the capability of Doug, Antonio, Mike, and Michelle from Mullen Heller to listen, anticipate, and provide creative ideas and solutions to challenges as they arise.

As Dale discussed in his June 1 update (see the church website http://www.uulosalamos.org/2011/06/summer-2011-bpsc-report/), the committee decided that we should move the gas and water lines out to the street to make the best use of our lot for the new church and outdoor spaces. The emerging building design makes use of the current building footprint for a RE/office wing and places a sanctuary/fellowship wing on the west side of the property, with the new sanctuary in approximately the same location as Robinson Hall. Recently we learned from the County that moving the utilities would cost much less than anticipated.

Over the summer the Building Plans Subcommittee finalized the program space plan (rooms, sizes, adjacency) and floor plans, and we are engaging with the full three-dimensional design and function of the building and site plan (exterior spaces, parking, etc.). We are working with the Building Project Steering Committee to develop a legal agreement with the Masons to formally share parking, which will be mutually beneficial. We will be able to reduce the number of parking spaces on our lot by sharing theirs on Sundays, and the Masons will be able to use our lot during their large events. Our architects developed design sketches of parking configurations and traffic flow for use in our discussions with the Masons.

The committee has spent considerable effort to ensure economy and practicality at various stages in our work with the architects. Early on we explored various combinations of construction techniques to minimize materials costs. In May, the committee found ways to add efficiency through multiple use of fewer rooms and spaces. Recently we have been exploring ways to minimize impacts on existing trees on the property. Throughout this process the Building Plans subcommittee and Mullen Heller have worked hard to balance efficiency, functionality, and the aesthetic values that were set out in the Charge to the Architects and the congregational work sessions last winter. We feel that the emerging design will meet our needs for a facility and will be inspiring, comfortable, and beautiful.

We are excited to be nearing the end of our work. Mullen Heller will be producing the final conceptual design in early fall.