So, after years of discussion, review of countless plans and perusal of design concepts, a church or homeowner finally selects their ideal design for their new building or renovation project. Relief sets in. The rest should all flow easily, right? Not so, says James C. a member of the Building Committee, liaison with contractor and advisor on St. Mary’s building project. Converting concepts to reality is a different process that involves precision, more detailed understanding of function, continuous monitoring, and creativity at every step of the way.
I recently had a conversation with James about what this process entails and what we might expect.
Anna: Tell me about yourself and what brought you to Orthodoxy and St. Mary’s.
James: A friend recommended that I look into Orthodoxy and I was fortunate to walk through the doors of St. Mary’s a few years ago. The liturgical worship style quickly appealed to all of my senses, something I hadn’t felt with my previous denomination. Father David’s sermons struck a chord with me. His and Jonathan Jacobson’s tireless efforts in the catechumen course gave me the resources and inspiration to keep coming back for more.
Anna: What do you do professionally?
James: I have worked for a large General Contractor in this area for 25 years. I am currently a manager that oversees quality on the projects. Projects that I was assigned to, include the Air and Space Museum at Dulles, the Pentagon renovation, and the Armed Forces Retirement Home.
Anna: So far, we have been busy looking at various options (stay at the current place or move, for example) and reviewing design concepts. What are some of the things involved in the execution of an architectural design and what should we be anticipating?
James: My role generally involves oversight of subcontractor quality preparations and early inspections. This includes review of the contracts, approval of material submittals and inspection of first samples of work. Follow up inspections occur periodically. I strive to help guide each trade to provide a high-quality product, on time and within budget.
Anna: In your experience, what are common mistakes in projects like ours?
James: The common mistakes I see in my projects involve a lack of definition on scope, schedule, phasing or quality. This can lead to cost overruns, delays and poor quality. The more we define these aspects up front and envision our project from start to finish, the more success we will have. Establishing the contractor as a partner that understands and shares our vision is important.
Anna: Why volunteer in this project?
James: I hope to assist the renovation by providing as much time and effort as I can, outside of chasing my three young kids around! A common saying that we have is that we shouldn’t accept a work product that we wouldn’t accept at our own home. Considering that this is a second home to so many, our renovation project is especially important, and I think our team will very much commit to this philosophy.
