Presentation and Workshop - Church Architecture and the Vision for Our New Church!

On November 16^th from 9:00am until 3:00pm, more than 120 parishioners came together for a two-part session in the Parish Hall.  

The morning session included presentations of the following topics:

• History and development of Church Architecture.
• Common liturgical events to be accommodated by a church structure.
• Theological and liturgical aspects of architectural elements commonly present in Catholic churches
• Common Architectural styles of Catholic churches

In the afternoon session, parishioners gathered by topic to breathe into the initial design ideas for the new church.  This was an opportunity for all to engage in envisioning groups and provide input, direction, and recommendations.  This is an exciting first step to designing our new spiritual home!

The following is a list of topics for input and discussion during the afternoon Building Committee Workshop:

• Prayer ~  Provides the spiritual backbone of the project development.
• Parish Communication ~ Communication of updates and commemoration of project activities and milestones.
• Events ~ Concentrate on parish events for the project.
• Liturgical ~ Provides the liturgical direction and helps define the culture of the parish’s liturgy for integration into worship, function and design. Focus will be on three areas: Liturgical items, Art & Environment, and Sacristies.
• Master Planning & Site Development ~ Provides the direction and guidance for the overall design of the site. Focus on the overall site as well as the design of the parking and utilities and requirements of the City of Plano.
• Landscaping & Gardens ~ Focus the overall site as well as the design of the outdoor spaces such as gardens and courtyards and landscape requirements of the City of Plano.
• Residential Liaison ~ Advocate for the project within the surrounding community.
• Architecture ~ Provides the direction and guidance for the parish regarding the aesthetic, functional and operational aspects of the overall design of the campus and specifically the sanctuary.
• Narthex, Gathering Room, and Nursery ~ Provides the direction and guidance for the functionality and aesthetics of the common area and gathering spaces, in addition the current and future needs of the Nursery. 
• Mechanical Systems ~ Provides the direction and guidance on what type of HVAC and plumbing systems would best serve the new sanctuary and parish for the long term. 
• Electrical, Lighting, and Data ~ Provides the direction and guidance on what type of electrical and data needs are there for the new sanctuary, narthex, gathering room, and nursery.  Review and evaluate sanctuary lighting control system. Review light fixture package including parking lot and exterior lighting desires.  
• Access Control & Security ~ Primary focus on the physical security and safe environment and recommendations related to policies, procedures, equipment and technology. 
• Music, Spoken Word, and Acoustics ~ Provides direction for the layout and requirements of the choir and instrument space, including organ.  Focus on what is needed for the choir, spoken word and acoustics to enhance sound.  Responsible for coordinating with A/V Presentation to ensure all are designed in a cohesive manner.
• A/V Presentation ~ Provide support to visual technology needs.
• Logistics and Campus Impact ~ Responsible for determining and understanding options and ramifications for the parish during the construction of the project.

Presenters were Fr. Bruce Bradley, Deacon Doug Biglen, Fr. Jason Cargo, Pastor of St. Joseph’s in Richardson and member of the Diocesan Sacred Spaces Committee, along with Seton’s Building Committee, our Project Manager,  Kevin Bird with Devcon and our team from HH Architects.