Category: Blog Post

Three Better Ways to Select a Contractor

How and when you select a contractor is a critical part of minimizing the risk of a construction project. Ever-increasing costs and regulations combined with technology and building systems’ complexity make selecting the right contractor critical. The right contractor, teamed with the right architect, is essential to ensure you get the building you want, on-time, and on-budget.

Traditionally, an owner would hire an architect who would oversee the entire design process resulting in a set of contract documents. The owner would invest months working with the architect, investing tens of thousands of dollars in fees. The contract documents would then be given to three or more contractors who would study the documents and submit a bid. Typically, the contractor with the lowest bid wins.

We’ll leave it to the reader to Google why the “design-bid-build” system of contractor selection often results in projects that cost too much and aren’t completed on time.

At Blueline, we are advocates of selecting the contractor as early in the project as possible. Here are three better ways to select a contractor:

1. Design/Build – This method has gained prominence over the past 40 years to the point where over 40% of all non-residential building projects are done design-build. The owner hires the contractor first and makes them responsible for both the design and construction. Some contractors have architects and engineers on staff, and others hire an architect just as they would hire another sub-contractor.

Blueline has been part of numerous design/build teams. If a contractor has a track record for successful project delivery and exceptional customer service, we don’t mind working for them. The best design/build teams include the architect in the early design process and provide them with an opportunity to interact with the client and hear their needs and expectations directly. A contractor who has demonstrated expertise with your type of project will better tailor the design/build process to your needs.

2. Construction Management at Risk – This method essentially hires both the architect and contractor at the start of the project. Sometimes the contractor is selected first and helps the owner interview and select an architect; sometimes, it’s the other way around. In either case, the architect and owner have separate contracts with the owner.

This method’s key feature is that throughout the design process, the contractor is responsible for producing budgets and schedules based on the architect’s design work. The contractor can also advise on the availability of material and the constructability of the proposed scheme. The architect then adapts the design so that the design, budget, and schedule align with the owner’s expectations.

3. Negotiated Selection — In this scenario, the owner hires the architect to develop a conceptual design. The architect develops a building program that meets the owner’s functional needs then develops plans and 3D views that illustrate design intent. The final conceptual design package should include an outline specification of materials and systems.

The conceptual design package is then given to three to five contractors who are asked to provide a non-binding budget and stipulate a proposed fee. Interviews are then conducted where the contractor is typically asked to suggest ways to save money, manage the project, minimize changes, etc. The contractor best aligned with the owner’s goals and expectations is selected to advise on cost, schedule, and constructability throughout the remainder of the design process.

Like the Construction Manager at Risk method, the architect and contractor have separate agreements with the owner.

We’ll elaborate on each of the methods more in subsequent blogs. We’ll provide pros and cons and keys to success based on our extensive experience with each method.

There is no one best way. The right way to select a contractor depends on the type of project, how well the owner knows what they need to build, and their expectations for quality, price, and schedule.

In the meantime, if you are looking to hire a contractor and want to discuss your unique situation, contact us through our website.

March 30, 2021
Clarity Not Certainty
During a recent phone call, my good friend Pat Kase, Senior Project Developer with Aspen Group, said, “What our clients are looking for is clarity, not certainty.” Pat’s gift for insight is matched only by his deft alliteration. His words did echo what Blueline is hearing from clients as they discern whether to undertake building projects.

The pandemic has brought clarity. It has forced churches, schools, and businesses to focus on what is of value to their constituents and to discard everything that is not. COVID has been called “The Great Accelerator” – bringing rapid growth to that which is good and the need for swift cancellation to that which is not. Organizations that recognized the difference and responded quickly continue to thrive. For a donor-funded organization such as churches and private schools, this has been particularly true.

But the past 12 months have also tested our assumptions about the future. For those of us who love a good 5-year plan and get a racing pulse while “visioning,” the pandemic has brought humility and uncertainty. At best, strategic plans need significant recalibration. At worst, your strategic plan is in the trash can, and you are staring at a blank piece of paper.

So, if your church, school, or business does indeed have clarity, here are several things to keep in mind as you align your facilities with your mission and purpose:
1. Keep your options open. Even if you are building or renovating to address an immediate need, make sure you do not do something that limits future options. Master planning is good, but an hour planning session with Blueline can help you analyze traffic, utilities, pedestrian patterns, storm-water management, and topography enough to make sure you are not building yourself into a box. Choose clear-span building systems and minimize load-bearing walls. Stack and gang plumbing and use HVAC systems that do not require large duct runs. In many cases, common sense and experience can help you make near-term improvements without limiting growth.
2. Move quickly. Chris Weaver, President and CEO of Lantz Construction Company, says that the market for materials and labor “feels like the wild west.” Over the past decade, construction costs have risen by 50%. Inflation is hovering around 4% and is likely to go up a point the next year. Interest rates are still relatively low, but we have not met a business leader who expects them to stay low. If you are undertaking a project to meet current needs, you logically want to address them as soon as possible. Blueline understands that when a client says, “Go!” we need to have a plan and move fast.
3. More donations, less debt. With uncertainty about the future, most organizations have a relatively short planning horizon. Understandably, this means clients do not want to take on long-term debt. The good news is that many of our church and Christian School clients are seeing stable income. The care, hard work, and creativity they have put into serving their congregations and constituents mean there is a reservoir of goodwill. That goodwill can translate into strong giving for projects that are vital to the continued fulfillment of the organization’s mission and purpose. Blueline can generate the data and renderings your church or school needs to make its case for support
Blueline remains ready to equip your facilities so that they amplify your mission. Whether your project is big or small, we will match your clarity with our experience and understanding.
March 8, 2021
An Ancient Faith for a Modern World

After 10 years of serving as a priest in an established Coptic Orthodox Church in Northern Virginia, Father Anthony Messeh felt a strong call to start a church that invited people from all backgrounds to join the rich spiritual legacy of the Coptic church. Father Anthony shared his call with his senior priest, then the bishop, and ultimately received the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria’s approval and blessing on December 11, 2011. In 2012 St. Timothy and St. Athanasius (STSA) Church was launched.

Many churches intertwine spiritual and cultural practices and traditions. Father Anthony believes that “The church should have no one culture above another.” De-emphasizing the ethnic and cultural elements of the Coptic Orthodox Church frees others to join in and be blessed by a faith that Father Anthony calls “the best-kept secret.” In a region like Northern Virginia, this makes it easier for persons of Egyptian heritage to invite their spouses, friends, and neighbors who come from other ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

A key part of this strategy is a second service each Sunday called “The Well.” After the traditional liturgy each Sunday, the congregation pauses to “break fast” together (Coptic Orthodox Christians fast for at least 9 hours before taking communion each Sunday). They then reconvene for a time of worship with contemporary music and a sermon from Father Anthony. Some who are new to the Coptic church learn to know the community by attending these hour-long services. You can check out Father Anthony’s sermons from “The Well” on STSA’s YouTube channel.

Father Anthony also started STSA Ministries to provide resources and encouragement to Orthodox leaders in other parts of North America who are also trying to bring an ancient faith to their modern world.

Currently, STSA Church meets in rented facilities in Arlington, Virginia. Blueline designed a new church building for STSA that has both a traditional Orthodox sanctuary and a contemporary “black box” auditorium with the capability to broadcast services to other locations. The facility also includes Sunday School classrooms, offices, a kitchen, and a roof-top gathering area. The church is anxious to move into its facility in early 2022.

“Having a permanent place of worship is vital to authentic Orthodox worship,” says Father Anthony. From the iconostasis to vestments to the use of incense and Holy Communion elements, the liturgy is full of symbols and stimulation for the senses, all aimed at celebrating the glory, power, and mystery of Jesus Christ. The contemporary worship venue will allow the church to live-stream to other locations. Orthodox Churches throughout North America can log into “The Well” service after their local liturgy. STSA also plans to host conferences and make their space available to other groups for meetings and celebrations.

When I asked Father Anthony what this ancient faith has to offer our modern world, he quickly responded, “Our ancient faith has solutions to all the problems of this world.” Father Anthony goes on to explain that we live in a world of unknowns, with lots of questions people cannot answer. Each Sunday, the liturgy celebrates a God who is both unknowable and mysterious yet has not left us alone. It recounts the Good News of God’s saving act in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His abiding presence in the Holy Spirit. And the liturgy tells the stories of Saints through the ages who bear witness to a God that sustains us in a troubled world.

Blueline is grateful and honored to serve STSA and deliver a building that amplifies their mission to bring an Ancient Faith to a Modern World.

January 27, 2021
The Church Kitchen

One of our clients has a sign posted in their foyer near where they serve coffee that says, “It’s not a meeting if there is no eating.” For many churches, food is the fuel of fellowship. Of the many things we miss in the age of COVID-19, sharing a cup of coffee or a meal together, at church, is near the top of the list.

Planning for how and where we serve food in our church buildings can be a challenging part of the overall design process. First, kitchens are expensive. They have a high concentration of utilities – plumbing, gas, HVAC – which makes the cost per square foot up to 50% higher than other areas of the church. Depending on capacity and quality, kitchen equipment can be a significant part of a project budget. In addition, building codes continue to roll out more and more measures to protect the health and safety of those who prepare, serve, and consume food in a church building. These technical factors combined with the passion many of us have for food and fellowship can make finding the right balance of capacity, functionality and cost difficult.

Twenty years of experience equips Blueline to help churches get the most out of their kitchens. Here are some lessons learned that can bring clarity to designing your food service areas:

“Commercial” vs. “Warming” — Churches usually describe the type of kitchen they want in one of these two terms. A commercial kitchen allows a church to cook food that generates grease, requiring a hood over any cooking surface or oven. This hood must have its own exhaust as well as make-up air. Production kitchens also need 3-compartment sinks connected to a grease interceptor with water at 140 degrees. Dishwashers must be high-temperature or use chemical sanitation. Food prepared for commercial purposes, including fundraising, trigger building code requirements that, in turn, require commercial grade equipment and construction.

Warming kitchens typically employ residential-grade appliances. Food activities include warming items in a microwave, crockpot, range, or stove. Large, commercial grade convection ovens can typically be used for warming bread, pastries, etc. as long the reheating does not generate grease. Typically, we specify ample outlets and counter space for people to bring crockpots and provide multiple microwaves. A warming kitchen can also be a place for caterers to set up for an event that is being catered.

Building Codes vs. Health Department — The building code may be different than the requirements of your local health department. Churches are typically exempt from Health Department certification and inspections unless they are running a daycare or pre-school.

Flexibility — when the budget allows, utilizing stainless steel tables, shelving, and racks, rather than building permanent cabinets and countertops, allows for easier reconfiguration as use of the kitchen changes over time. Having some of the tables and shelving on castors allows groups to change the set up depending on the type of preparation need.

Workflow — There are time-tested ways for optimizing how people preparing and serving food move around the kitchen. It begins with a one-way flow with separate doors for entering and exiting the kitchen. The chart below shows a basic circulation diagram.

Other specialties that may be included in the kitchen are coffee production areas where large quantities of coffee are brewed and distributed to coffee service areas throughout the church. Churches that celebrate the Eucharist each Sunday often need a place to prepare the elements and store the trays, cups and platters associated with this sacrament. (This assumes there is no Sacristy.)

Also, do not forget the trash. Try to minimize the distance trash needs to be carried from the kitchen to dumpsters or outside trash cans. Recyclable materials – glass, plastic, cardboard, and compost – can take up a good deal of space. If carts are used for moving prepared food and/or dirty dishes, a space may be needed to wash the carts.

Size — A 20’ by 30’ (600 square feet) kitchen is ample size for a warming kitchen that serves several hundred people. A room this size can have worksurfaces and equipment around the perimeter with area for a 4’ wide by 10’ long island in the middle. A 15’ x 10’ room can accommodate storage of serving areas, dry goods, and bulk food items. The same footprint can work for a production kitchen depending on the amount of equipment and people working at one time.

Serving Windows — Some churches use serving windows for setting out food. This limits food service to one line. Serving from tables outside the kitchen allows two (or more) lines. It also frees up walls space in the kitchen for cabinets and shelving. Serving windows can be tricky to deal with if the kitchen must be enclosed with a fire-rated wall. Finally, eliminating the service window means there is no messy view from the dining/ fellowship area into the kitchen.

Kitchens are complex and expensive. Additionally, no two projects are alike. These are but a few of the many details Blueline can guide you through to discover the kitchen that best amplifies your hospitality ministry.

December 17, 2020
Comprehensible, Not Comfortable—Part 2
There was a time when every surface, window, and piece of furniture in our church
buildings told the story of Jesus and the Gospel. Every design choice was meant to inspire
awe and reverence as well as educate. As literacy grew amongst Christians, and the Gospel leaped from the printed page to radio, then to television and now the internet, the need for our buildings to stir devotion and teach truth receded.
Many churches now rely on technology – video, internet, social media, etc. – to share the Good News and grow disciples. Music is the primary medium for emotional engagement. Few symbols other than the cross are deployed to reinforce the history of the Church. As one audio/video/lighting contractor once told me, “I’ll design the technology, you wrap a box around it.”

But as described in a previous blog, “Comprehensible, not Comfortable, Part 1,” the pendulum is swinging back from utilitarian church design to a mode that recognizes that symbols and art have value in the places where the Church meets, worships and serves. It is the difference between conveying information and inspiring people to ponder and confront a God who is both in our midst and transcendent. It does not negate the need for functionality, but rather amplifies it.

Both symbols and art can catch the attention of the seeker and convey not just information but also meaning. The Cross is the most recognizable symbol in a church building. The form of the cross often speaks to the history and tradition of a particular community of faith.
The baptistry, whether font, fountain, or pool, reinforces both the universal importance of this rite, and the diverse expression and history of this sacrament.

Other symbols like a winged lion, an eagle or keys can represent various apostles and saints. Stations of the cross are typical in Catholic churches. The icons of Orthodox traditions are yet another expression of the power of symbols to convey meaning.

It is no coincidence that faith traditions that value symbols, typically also want them to be
well-crafted and beautifully made.

The art of music is a component of almost all churches. Painting, sculpture, glasswork also have historical significance and are experiencing a revival in our church buildings. Historically art has represented specific scenes and stories in church history. Today, the exhibition of abstract art invites specific groups of un- and de-churched people to enter church grounds and view it amid other explicitly Christian symbols. Such art can also connect the church to its geographic or demographic context.
What ties them together is beauty. As Aubrey Spears, Rector of The Church of the Incarnation in Harrisonburg, Virginia says, “Beauty is the ambassador of Truth.” Beauty opens the door to transcendence and mystery. Beauty creates moments in which we, members of the body of Christ can engage the seeker. While technology can stir emotions and effectively communicate information, we need art to generate the lingering awe and reverence in which meaning is conveyed and in which truth sinks its deep roots.
October 24, 2020
Social Distancing: Upholstery and Lighting
Soft surfaces may harbor bacteria longer due to their difficulty cleaning. However, new fabrics and fabrication techniques incorporate anti-microbial agents which can help keep your space cleaner and safer. You can also use color to indicate social distancing by using different color fabrics to create smaller groupings of furniture strategically placed throughout a space.

Another area of your space to consider is the ceiling. Armstrong offers “Clean Room” ceiling tiles which are anti-microbial and washable; and Pinnacle Lighting offers “Indigo Clean” light fixtures with bacteria-killing agents. These products can be easily retrofitted into an existing ceiling grid.
September 28, 2020
Interruption or Disruption?

How you see the impacts of the Pandemic will shape the church for a generation.

Over the past 20 years “regular church attendance” has declined from 3.2 times per month to 1.8 times per month. A recent Barna study indicates that 32% of practicing Christians have stopped attending any church whether in-person or online.

In a recent conversation, Jim Sheppard, CEO and principal of Generis (www.generis.com) shared that he asks church leaders whether they see the pandemic as an interruption or disruption. Those that see the pandemic as an interruption–to be waited-out so they can go back to doing what they were doing before March 2020–are likely to continue struggling against the trends of declining church attendance. Barna’s numbers would seem to indicate the pandemic is accelerating trends.

But Jim goes on to share that he believes the current disruptions are a chance for churches to get out of a rut and be more effective at growing and sending mature disciples. To capture this moment, we have to shift what we measure and embrace diverse streams of engagement. We need to capture volunteer hours and share the number of groups and activities with whom people are involved. These are the metrics that show how a person’s faith is woven into the whole fabric of one’s life.

Pre-Covid, conversation starters when meeting a church leader were, “What is your weekend attendance and how is your giving doing?” If you followed churches and church leaders on social media, the late Sunday/early Monday posts were often about how many baptisms happened over the weekend. All these data points will remain important, but they also reveal a how-many-people-in-the-building-on-the-weekend bias.

Building effective disciples is a seven-day a week mission, and Jim suggests that perhaps God had to get us out of our building for a few months to help us refocus our creativity. Jim says that the pandemic has settled once and for all that “on-line worship is real worship.” Pastor Larry Osborne (North Coast Church), in a webinar with Nathan Artt of Ministry Solutions, says the church must embrace a “both/and” rather than an “either/or” approach to ministry. Going forward, gathering in the building on Sunday morning should be blended with house-church style of ministry.

12 Stone Church in Lawrenceville, GA has adopted a “both/and” strategy with their dual platforms of 12Stone Live and 12Stone Home. They have appointed a home ministry pastor who leads and nurtures home groups who not only gather to watch the service but also engage in smaller, more localized worship, teaching, fellowship, and service.

Citing retail as an example, Osborne says the future belongs not to Amazon, which is primarily online, or Macy’s who has focused on traditional in-store shopping. Rather the future of retail is Target and Walmart who are aggressively developing hybrid models of on-line commerce while maintaining their physical stores.

Sheppard believes that when restrictions are lifted, and people are comfortable assembling for worship, attendance is likely to be 60%-70% of pre-Covid capacity. But total engagements – live + on-line – have the potential to be significantly larger than prior to the pandemic.

Faithfulness in a time of disruption creates new opportunities and channels for making disciples. The Church can offer salvation to the people who might never come to a large church but will have a meal with their Christian neighbor. Friendships with those in our neighborhood can lead to stronger discipleship and bear the fruits of generosity, service, and deep caring. Let us use this time to consider how God is calling the Church to bear more fruit.

August 10, 2020
Quick Tips on Social Distancing Guidelines

Let us be your resource as you re-open your facility!

Download our Quick Tips for Cleaner, Safer, and More Accessible spaces during COVID-19.

INTERIORS QUICK TIP SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES

July 28, 2020
A Call to Faithfulness

Blueline is blessed to have served well over a hundred churches in our sixteen-year history. Over those years, during periods of uncertainty, I have been inspired by and found encouragement from our church clients.

Now, along with economic upheaval and a pandemic, we are confronted, once again, by the age-old problem of racism. Blueline is deeply honored and humbled to be serving Divine Unity Community Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I am grateful to Pastors Chris Johnson and A. J. Mosely for sharing these words of encouragement, inviting us to ask, as did Jesus’ disciples, “Is it I Lord?” and to respond to secular problems, not with secular solutions, but with repentance, love and obedience to Jesus Christ.

https://vimeo.com/432300673

June 25, 2020
Good News About Churches and Building Projects

Several weeks ago, we responded to the question, “Is now a good time for churches to build?” by discussing forecasts for construction pricing. But the answer to that question is not about money, it is about ministry priorities.

A church in northern Virginia, for whom we recently completed contract documents for a new children’s ministry building, delayed start of construction for at least six months. Initially this pause was driven by the need to postpone their capital campaign, connected to uncertainty about regular giving. However, church leadership came to realize focusing their energy on making disciples was their number one priority at this time.

What does it mean to be the Church during this time?

Another client put the design of their sizeable addition on hold pre-COVID. When the pandemic hit, we inquired about the status of the project, assuming the crisis would result in further delays. But in talking with the pastor and trustees, we learned that giving has remained strong even though they were not holding services. This steady giving, along with very conservative financial management, has put them in a position to address a different facility-related issue caused by COVID 19. The church had been using nearby public school for their middle-school ministry. Recognizing that when everything re-opens, the school will likely not be available, the church is now considering a different building project that will accommodate ministries displaced from the public-school facility.

In all, most churches we are in conversation with have seen some reduction in giving, but not to the degree that it threatens viability.

All are asking, “What does it mean to be the Church during this time?”

For all of them, this means finding creative ways to encourage, teach, minister, whether meeting virtually or at reduced capacity.

The answer we most often hear to the question, “Should we keep going with our project?” is, “Not now, we’re too busy being the Church!” That, indeed, is Good News.

June 11, 2020