What’s in an image?

A number of people have commented that the photos of the model make the space seem cold and uninviting. We have been trying to point out that the limitation of a model is that it doesn’t show the detail that helps make a space – a sanctuary.

For example look at this image of the model, although it has nice lighting – since all the materials are the same its hard to get a sense of texture or detail. The real lighting in the space is hard to figure out because thimble sized pieces of cardboard do not emit the warm glow of a light or warm up the textures. Since we have not picked out the carpeting, wall color, fabrics, or even the kind of wood, its hard to image how this model will be the place we pray in.

However, with a little help from Adobe Photoshop we can start to add some of the texture and color that helps the space come alive a bit more. There is still a level of detail that will exist in after the renovation that is almost impossible to show in the model such as handrails or the detail in the seats. However, I think most people would agree this does help a bit …

As always we ask that people don’t get excited about something that seems out of place – we are posting this stuff to help inform the community – but it definitely just a work in progress.

One Possible location for the Ark

One idea that has been discussed is to use the mosaics on the ark in the sanctuary as art. Some people were questioning what this would look like – so I put together a photoshop image of this possibility. Of course since I spliced together it will not look exactly like this but it will give the community a better idea of what we are thinking.

Tushy Testing

There are a number of chairs in the social hall to have people test. These are just samples so don’t get excited, but we hope to be able to gauge what people like and then make adjustments. ALL THE CHAIRS WILL HAVE SOME SORT OF BOOK STORAGE. Don’t panic if the ones you see don’t have book storage – because the sales reps dropped off examples – the final chair will definitely have book storage.

Currently the committee is thinking of having some percentage of the flexible seats with arms and a larger percentage without arms, but this is still under discussion. The fixed seats will be pew style (an upholstered bench).

The Ark

Dear Friends,

We know you may have received a letter in the mail from a congregant expressing concern about the Renovation Committee’s plans for our current ark. To minimize confusion, we want to explain that while we are looking forward to using the beautiful, new ark designed for our sanctuary, we plan to retain the existing ark in a place of honor as both a lovely work of art and an important link to our congregation’s history. We hope you’ll join us at the Temple Center meeting on Sunday, May 11th when we present all of our exciting plans for the sanctuary. If you have any questions before then (or can’t make it), please feel free to contact either one of us or a member of the Renovation Committee.

Thanks

A personal reflection on community

As an architect, I have a fair amount of experience presenting to communities. Sometimes this can be an exciting time to explain design – sometimes it is extremely hard to listen to peoples fears and emotions about change. Many times I have been in the uncomfortable position of being the target of peoples venting and accusations of bad intentions. Over the years, I have developed many responses that try to be respectful of these fears and yet represent my clients interests in moving a project forward. Often the best thing is to listen, acknowledge what I am hearing and in many cases – finding ways we can all work together.

Recently, as we have shown images of the model that “appear” more real – we have gotten many very strong comments about the design. We welcome the reactions. The point of this blog is to float ideas and inform the community of what is going on. However, as a design professional I must hold back the temptation to lecture or dismiss reactions as misinformed or misguided. The reality is even though a drawing may be abstract or a model may not show the whole image – if someone has a negative reaction – it is important to first listen, then to understand where the reaction is coming from and lastly we have to see if we can manage to find a way to work to make things better.

When I am working for a client, I have the ability to go home and walk away from the project – I do not live in the communities I work in. As the co-chair of the renovation Oversight committee – I am helping guide a design that is the community I have lived and prayed in for the past 15 years. I want to balance respectfully listening and being listened to.

For those of us on the committee we are working many hours and trying very hard to do the best for the Temple we love. The emotional attachment to our worship space is hard. Like any community there is difference of opinion – but please understand that all of us our doing this out of love of a love for our Jewish faith; a belief in the mission of the Temple and the importance community.

Please have patience – we will continue to listen – sometimes we will be able to incorporate ideas, sometimes it will not be possible. We are trying to create a space that all members of this congregation will be able to be comfortable in. In the end, the space is meaningless if the community becomes divided and angry or hurt – for me the first step is to take a deep breathe. On Friday night often Rabbi Kraus encourages us to take a breathe and step out of our weekly commotion and get our minds and bodies in a more spiritual Shabbat space. May I ask all of us – to do the same as we have an open dialogue about the design and try to be respectful of all points of view!

Design Development

The Board of Trustees approved motions allowing the Renovation to move forward. Invitations to contractors have been sent out, and we are on our way! The architects and the design team are working hard on the plan. Sound and lighting engineers have begun their work as well.

Keep looking out for new details as we begin to choose seating, lighting and other details that will add to the warmth of our holy space!

Updated Plans

Here is the most recent plan.

Here is a cut through the middle of the sanctuary

Design Development Meeting

The Oversight Renovation Committee met today to look at the new model done by the architects. This model represents the most recent ideas on the design for the Sanctuary. As you can see from the first image – wood is important to framing the new multi-height bima. Other elements that are important to the design are:

Wood Ceiling

A wood ceiling floats above both the flexible seating area and the new bima – tying the space together and helping to create a feeling of a room within a room. Pendant lights will float above the flexible from this ceiling and help re-shape the room.

 Screening

One the important features in the design is layering of elements to make the room feel different. The original sanctuary has walls that angle in towards the bema. This makes the bema feel more like a stage. By using a wooden screen that wraps around the bema and around the ark this helps to re-shape the room.

If you click on the image above you will see a larger image.

Click on thumbnails to see larger images.

 

Feasibility Study Powerpoint

Here is the powerpoint presentation that Robert Luchetti Associates presented to the Board of Trustees in May 2006.

A bit of history: renovation history part 1

For those who are curious I thought I would post the process that has gotten us to where we are.

In 2003, Beth El Temple President Jonathan Jacoby asked Karen Pike to lead a committee of diverse congregants to study a renovation of the sanctuary. The original committee was comprised of congregants from a wide range of experiences, from elders, to new members, from parents to single people – the idea was to get a wide range of experience. The original committee was comprised of:

Rabbi Jonathan Kraus-Cantor Geoffrey Fine-Ruth Cohen-Arlene Feinberg-Leslie Copes Fink-Eleora Fisher-Chuck Geller-Donald Goldman-Norman Goldstein-Liz Karp-Stuart Lesser-Karen Pike-Bea Ponn-Jonathan Miller-Harriet Torgerson-Mike Wolfson

The committee basically started with following up with our mission statement that says:
“To engage in joyful, participatory, musical, and spiritually meaningful worship.”

We then engaged in the following process:

• Study
• Congregational Workshops
  • - Brainstorming
  • - Transition to Meaning
  • - Small group discussions
• Visiting other congregations – (9) in total

The end result was to produce an RFP (request for proposals) to hire an architect to do a feasibility study.

The RFP called for:

Scope of Renovations:
Flexibility in the size and configuration of the worship space.
Worship sizes range from 10 congregants at morning Minyan Services up to approximately 900 people at High Holiday Services (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), when we open the wall separating the Sanctuary and Social Hall. Our renovated worship space must enhance the religious experience at small participatory services, very large “formal” services, and many varying sizes and types of services in-between. As part of the study of the existing Sanctuary, the architect must also consider the Social Hall and auxiliary spaces such as storage closets, area behind the Bima, and choir loft for the study

Seating.
The 400 existing fixed Sanctuary seats, are uncomfortable. The seating requirements include: comfort, flexibility to accommodate different size groups and services, accessibility and safety for our members, book and pamphlet storage, and appropriateness to the Temple and the Sanctuary environment.
Diverse Ages and Physical Conditions.
The Sanctuary must accommodate all ages, from toddlers to the elderly, of our Temple family. Access for all to the bima is essential. Accessibility, acoustics, lighting, finishes, comfort, safety are important considerations.
“Feel” of the Sanctuary.
The familiar feel of our worship space should be preserved
Chapel
The concept of a chapel separate from the main Sanctuary has been discussed as a way to accommodate small groups in an intimate setting. The chapel potentially could be located either within the existing Temple footprint or as an addition to the existing building.
Study Objectives -
The major goal of this study is to explore each of the options above to achieve a more responsive and flexible worship space, either as a single renovation project or as a multi-phased project.

After many interviews we hired the architecture firm of Robert Luchetti & Associates.