Accessibility issues can be particularly complicated and challenging for churches. When it comes to church kitchens and accessibility, there are a surprising number of gray areas in applying building codes and permitting requirements. Here are five issues that need to be considered early in the planning of your kitchen: Volunteers are not Employees and not all that goes on in a Church Kitchen is ... Read More
Before you demolish an older building, remember, the decision is final. Whatever value, history or opportunity for reuse that might have been possible will be gone forever! Our firm has long been associated with historic preservation and creative re-use of older buildings, so it may seem surprising that this blogpost is about tearing buildings down. I served for five years on Austin’s Historic ... Read More
Here is the final installment of the Baptismal Font Article! Today we will look at codes and technical issues. CODE The code implication of a baptismal font (especially a full immersion font) can be very complicated depending on your jurisdiction. The fact that it is a religious object may help you escape some code implications, but keep in mind that the code regulations have thought and ... Read More
Here is Part 2 of 3 the the posts on Baptismal Font Design. Previously we looked at Type, today we look at Location. LOCATION One of the main determinations of location is the logistics of getting people to and from the font. Also, since baptism of a person is actually a community event, you need to make sure the congregation can see the ceremony (though you also need to consider what can be seen ... Read More
As a planning commissioner, I took a strong stance against street closures. In the late 90's, we had a wave of applications from builders trying to make their projects feel more exclusive. Those requests really bothered me. A public street is an essential connector that makes private properties into a city, town or neighborhood. If these requests had been approved, (and nearly all were denied) ... Read More
