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1. We’ve
outgrown our current facilities. What do we do?
2. How can we find out more about your company and
services before obligating ourselves?
3. Do we need to hire an architect?
4. What kind of Architect should we hire?
5. Will Brennfoerder Architectural Services design and
build churches anywhere other than in the Midwest?
6. Are there any limitations on the size of church or
the denominations with whom you will  work?
7. Have you had any experience with church connected
daycares or schools?
8. What are the fees for your services?
9. If we decide to hire Brennfoerder, can we pick and
chose which services we want?
10. In your Services section you say that you will do a
Master Plan. What is a Master Plan?
11. What is a Feasibility Study?
1. We’ve
outgrown our current facilities. What do we do?
Churches
in your situation need to move quickly so that this growth can be
maintained and not hindered by lack of space. In order to make wise
decisions and be good stewards, you will need a complete analysis of
your current facilities, property, attendance history and projected
growth, finance, etc. Phase I of our services includes this analysis.
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2. How can we find
out more about your company and services before obligating ourselves?
We will
come to your location for an initial complimentary visit at no cost
or obligation to you. At this initial meeting, we provide you with
more information and answer any questions you may have. Another
purpose for this meeting is to help us understand your needs and
wishes so that we can prepare a customized proposal for you including
services to be done and the fees for those services. After meeting
with us and then receiving our proposal, you will be able to make an
informed decision. We are also happy to provide references.
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3. Do we need to hire
an architect?
Since a
church is considered to be a commercial, public building, all States
require that a Registered Architect design and approve construction
documents for new facilities and for additions. Building permits will
not be issued unless construction documents have been signed and
sealed by an Architect. Even in rural areas with no building codes,
the State law still requires an Architect for the safety, welfare,
and protection of the public.
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4. What kind of Architect should we hire?
An
Architect who does commercial design would be better suited to design
a church than architects who primarily do industrial, military, or
residential work. Within the realm of commercial architecture there
is a broad spectrum of projects including business parks, malls,
restaurants, schools and religious structures. An Architect, who
devotes most of his time to designing houses, would probably not be
the best choice for designing a mall. Likewise, an Architect who primarily
designs office buildings would not be the best choice to design a
church. You would want an
Architect with years of experience designing churches. During his 37 years at Goodman
Architectural Services, Dwight Brennfoerder was heavily involved with
the design and construction documents for hundreds of churches. As is evident by the fact that over
95% of our projects are churches and church-related facilities, we
specialize in churches.
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5. Can Brennfoerder
Architectural Services design and build churches anywhere other than
in the Midwest?
Yes. As you can see on the map, we
do work all across the United States.
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6. Are there any limitations
on the size of church or the denominations with whom you will work?
No. We welcome and have had experience
with projects of all sizes. We work with a variety of denominations
as well as with non-denominational churches.
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7. Have you had any
experience with church connected daycares or schools?
Yes. We have designed church
daycares, pre-schools, elementary and high schools. We’ve also
designed several Christian colleges.
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8. What are the fees
for your services?
We continually compare our fees
with those of other architectural firms across the country to assure
that our fees remain very competitive. Generally, we find that our
fees are at the lower end of the scale.
Each Phase of our Services has a
separate fee. The fee for Phase I (Preliminary Design) is a flat dollar
amount that is based on the size and complexity of the project. One
half of the fee is paid upon signing the contract with the balance
due at the completion and acceptance of Phase I.
The fee for Phase II (Construction
Documents) is a percentage of the construction cost. This fee is
billed monthly, usually over 7 to 8 months.
If you chose a construction manager
that we recommend Construction Manager that we recommend, his fee is
also percentage of the construction cost. This fee is billed monthly
over the course of construction.
With either a construction manager or a
general contractor there may be small fee for construction
observation and office procedures during the completion of the
work. This fee is billed
monthly over the course of construction.
After our
initial complimentary meeting with the client, we will send an
Architectural Agreement that includes fees specific to the project.
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9. If we decide to
hire Brennfoerder, can we pick and chose which services we want?
You can
choose whether you want to use our recommended construction manager
to build the facility or whether you just want us to do the
Construction Observation and have someone another manager or a
general contractor.
However, if
you hire Brennfoerder Architectural Services to design your facilities (Phase I),
Brennfoerder must also develop the Construction Documents (Phase
II). Since legally the
Architectural firm that creates a design owns the design, another
firm cannot do the Construction Documents from a design that is not
theirs without purchasing the rights to the design.
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10. In your Services
section you say that you will do a Master Plan. What is a Master Plan?
A
Master Plan is a written and a schematic drawing depicting your
current site and facilities, parking, etc. and showing the location
of future expansions. The plan also shows phasing of future
expansion, for example: when the worship attendance reaches 400,
expand the sanctuary and add classrooms.
Master plans
allow churches to maximize the utilization of their site, save time
and money. It also gives them
a tool to use for annual planning and fund raising.
We receive
many calls from churches who are now "land locked", and who
may have had enough property before building, but because they did
not have a Master Plan, the original building was placed in such a
way on the site that additions are difficult or impossible. Also, costly demolition may have to
be done in order to accommodate an addition that was not considered
in a Master Plan before construction began.
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11. What is a
Feasibility Study?
A
Feasibility Study is a complete analysis of your current site and facilities,
your growth potential, and your financial capability. We gather information from you that
allows us to calculate your need for worship, classroom, and other
space. We look at your growth history and project your future
growth. Then we can calculate
the amount of square footage you will need in each area and can
estimate the cost for building.
Sometimes a
Feasibility Study will reveal that a current site is maximized and
that relocation should be considered.
With each Feasibility Study, we will present recommendations
for you to consider.
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