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by Paul A. Harding, FAIA, with contributions by Acoustic
Dimensions
Throughout history technology has been integral to the design of
worship buildings. Early churches in Rome were converted public
audience halls, Roman Civic Basilicas, which optimized the
construction technology of its day to accommodate large assemblies.
With time this technology-driven building type became a building
form that took on religious associations separate from
technological considerations.
Today “mega-churches,” commonly defined as facilities
seating over 2,000 congregants, are a technologically driven
building type. Unfortunately, the architecture of these buildings
has been uneven at best. Many of these buildings exhibit very
little design sensitivity and have been roundly criticized by
architects and liturgical consultants as being scale-less
warehouses for worship. As the building type evolves and matures,
however, some quality buildings are being constructed. This issue
of the IFRAA Journal offers a look at three exemplary projects. The
case studies reveal that the thoughtful application of technology
can enhance the worship experience in a spectrum of faith
traditions in Mega-Churches.
Technology in Traditional and Contemporary
Congregations
Regardless of a congregation’s style the technical challenges
of mega-churches still relate to the most fundamental aspects of
worship: seeing and hearing. In designing modest-sized places of
worship, the technology required is less advanced for the smaller
worship building and its challenges are understood, and classic
examples already exist. The large size and varied forms of
communication in the mega-church combine to magnify the scale and
complexity of the design challenges found in smaller places of
worship.
Seeing
Given the large number of congregants in the main worship
space, the ability of each person to see the platform clearly
drives a need for sloped floors with carefully calculated
sightlines. Theater seating is typically used in lieu of pews in
order to stagger the seats and allow for clearer sightlines.
Mega-churches with traditional or contemporary orders of worship
typically wrap the congregants’ seating around a platform. The
purpose of this seating configuration is twofold. First, it reduces
the average distance from the congregant to worship leaders on the
platform. Second, it supports a sense of community within the
congregation as members can see the faces of fellow worshipers. The
fan-shaped seating configuration supports a more direct connection
between worship leaders and the congregation as well as between
congregants themselves.
The worship service is often enhanced through the use of large
video projection screens flanking the platform. The video screens
help all congregants to see the activities on the platform in
detail. The spoken word becomes more legible because the
congregants can see the speaker’s mouth synchronized with the
sound. The emotion of the speaker’s face provides additional
information to the content of the spoken word. Video technology is
able to effectively reduce the distance between the platform and
the congregation.
Seating wraps the projecting platform Blackhawk Baptist Church, Ft.
Wayne, Indiana
Photo courtesy of Harding
Partners
In a contemporary order of worship the integration of music,
performance, video graphics, and theatrical lighting is used to
engage multiple senses and intensify the worshipers’
experience. Theatrical lighting can be projected onto the
congregation, pulling worshipers directly into the message. Imagery
can be projected onto the platform to create a virtual set for a
performance. Video conferencing can link congregations in worship
across great distances. These techniques are used to establish a
mood or craft the message itself in an engaging manner, not
possible with only the spoken word.
A growing application of technology in contemporary services is
interactivity. The widespread use of interactive web-sites, text
messaging, digital photography, and desktop video editing can be
applied to worship, allowing a great number of people to
participate directly in the service. Petitions can be texted from
congregants’ cell phones and compiled on projection screens.
Digital photographs and movies can be gathered in support of a
given theme and used as background imagery during worship. Readings
from scripture can be graphically recorded to capture common themes
and distributed on-line for further study. Sermons can be followed
by small-group discussions that share conclusions or questions with
the entire congregation electronically. These techniques emphasize
prayer as a conversation. When congregants are involved, asking
questions, and exchanging ideas, the sense of connection and
community grows deeper.
Hearing
Hearing within large assembly spaces also presents major challenges
that are addressed through technology. General design guidelines
have been developed through centuries of auditorium and church
design that have a bias towards rectangular spaces with angled
walls and ceilings that distribute sound evenly throughout the
space. Absorptive materials are added to control reverberation
times. These design guidelines, however, were developed during a
period when there was great consistency among congregations in the
order of worship and traditional sanctuary forms. The linear spaces
that support procession and ceremony worked well with the linear
spaces traditionally designed for acoustic quality.
Mega-churches for traditional and contemporary congregations now
include great variation in the communication techniques used in
worship. The spoken word, contemporary music, traditional music,
large choirs, and small vocal groups all have a unique set of
requirements that need to be balanced. Mega-churches of all types
tend to gravitate towards a non-traditional building form that
emphasizes the communal worship experience over formal ceremony.
This preference leads to a space that is typically more broad than
it is deep, allowing the congregants to be closer to the platform.
These variations in building form and music ministries make the
application of traditional design guidelines for acoustics less
predictable.
Video screens flank the platform at Broadview Missionary Baptist
Church in Broadview, Illinois
Photo courtesy of Harding
Partners
There are tools available to designers that allow acoustic and
audio/video consultants to make judgments about the non-traditional
forms that are common with the large seat count in many of the new
mega-churches. Three-dimensional modeling and software that can
define the acoustic properties of materials anticipated for a space
can now allow designers to understand how the basic geometry and
treatment of surfaces may affect the sound in a room. The acoustic
interaction of the geometry and materiality of surfaces helps
designers to determine appropriate shaping and treatments to
control reverberation time and echo conditions. This type of
modeling can be done both for natural (non-amplified) and amplified
(loudspeaker) sources. In the case of loudspeakers, additional
models can illustrate sound levels and interaction of sound sources
that give assurance to the design team about the music and speech
reinforcement schemes being considered. These models also show the
amount of reinforced sound that is likely to strike wall and
ceiling surfaces, which can be taken into consideration as wall and
ceiling materials are selected.
New techniques of room modeling, called auralization, are exploring
a means of acoustically demonstrating the way sound moves in a
space. This technology is still in early stages of development, but
some of the modeling tools can be helpful, even now, in
demonstrating the difference between two choices of material or
moderate changes in reverberation time. While this software is not
yet able to provide a “real-life” representation of
sound, a large amount of research is being done with the hope that
it will be possible one day for playback methods to accurately
represent directionality of reflections and allow designers and
building owners to literally hear the results of the design before
a building is constructed.
Digital Video: Nuts + Volts
Over the past twenty years, video has earned its place as a medium
for communication in worship services. Video technology impacts all
facets of the worship service including song lyrics, video clips,
sermon support, and announcements. When compared with the
production of print media, the flexibility and relatively low cost
have made video a primary means for data distribution during
services.
In addition to communication, video is now becoming a tool for
creating experience. Flanking screens and video venues surround
projection to create environments, and video-projected sets are
becoming more commonplace as churches increasingly leverage the use
of video systems beyond information transfer.
As churches are designed with more and more “video
canvas” on which to paint, there is a reciprocal requirement
in the area of production. Churches are investing in systems to
produce content. With the relatively low cost of digital video and
non-linear editing systems, many churches have significant
production capability. Even if there is not a production systems
budget initially, the infrastructure of conduit and power can be
installed so that systems are easily put in place as funds become
available.
Aspect Ratio
Video is usually produced in two types of sizes. 4:3…similar
to your television screen at home and 16:9…the ratio of most
movie screens and new large screen plasma displays. The default in
PowerPoint is 4:3; however, the future of video is 16:9.
When content in 16:9 format is displayed on a 4:3 screen, it is
usually presented as a ‘letterbox.’ Without the
conversion to the ‘letterbox’ format the image would be
distorted. The same is true of 4:3 content. When video is produced
in that aspect ratio, it will need to go through an aspect ratio
converter to show up correctly in a 16:9 system. The world we live
in now has content straddling the two formats.
The Differences Between Front Projection and Rear
Projection
Front projection is the projection system most people are familiar
with because it is the same system used in movie theatres.
Essentially, the projector is placed in front of the screen and
content is projected onto it. For small, dark rooms, front
projection is very effective and is generally the most affordable
solution. Care has to be taken with the theatrical lighting which
can dilute the image on the screen.
Rear projection involves projecting an image to the back of a
display screen. Rear projection often is brighter and with greater
contrast than front projection because it is less affected by
ambient light. This means you can use a smaller projector in rear
projection to achieve the same brightness as a larger projector in
a front projection situation. The projector must be located a
certain distance from the screen requiring architectural space for
the projection room. Complete single or double mirror rear
projection packages reduce overall depth needed in the projection
room.
Projector Types: LCD and DLP
LCD (liquid crystal display) projectors usually contain three
separate LCD glass panels, one each for the red, green, and blue
components of the video signal. As light passes through the LCD
panels individual pixels can be opened to allow light to pass, or
closed to block the light.
DLP (Digital Light Processing) is the more advanced technology. The
image is created by about a million microscopic mirrors per chip.
The advantage to DLP projection is a clearer image and a longer
life of the projector; however, DLP projectors generally cost more
and are more costly to maintain.
Digital Projector Brightness: The Impact of Room Size on Lumens
Required
Most projectors have an ANSI (American National Standards
Institute) lumen rating printed on their casing. An ANSI lumen is a
measurement of light that has been standardized by ANSI. It is
commonly used to rate the brightness of projectors. An ANSI lumen
rating uses an average of several measurements taken across the
face of the light source. A front projection system for a small
classroom typically requires from 3,000 to 5,000 ANSI lumens,
whereas a large classroom may require from 8,000 to 10,000. A large
auditorium using front projection may need 16,000 or more. The
higher the ANSI lumens, the more energy required to operate the
projector.
Calculating Screen Size
Choosing the proper screen size dependents on a number of
variables, including viewing distance and mounting height. Acoustic
Dimensions is making some of their in-house design tools available
at www.acousticdimensions.com including their projection calculator
which can assist in planning screen sizes. The calculators are
available on the Innovation page.
Worship + Technology Case Studies
 New Faith Baptist Church International,
Matteson, Illinois
Riverbend Church, Austin,
Texas
St. Bernard's Catholic Community, Tracy,
California
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