Town Meeting on Property Renovation

December 9, 2007

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Those attending the meeting tended to believe that considering some kind of building renovation was either important or somewhat important. The most compelling reasons for this had to do with a) the fact that no major renovation has occurred since 1962 and underlying systems need work as well as spaces need updating, b) a desire to go with the current energy for growth and renewal that is currently in the parish and c) the need for a more integrated aesthetic as connected to an Anglo-Catholic spirituality that experiences God in beauty. Those concerned about undertaking building renovation at this time said that they did not want renovation our space to distract us from numerical growth and financial stability and were generally concerned about the cost of any renovation.

The following were themes that emerged in the surveys as well as in the discussion:

Strengths of our buildings/site/worship spaces

• Location—we have a strong location near the Seattle Center and arts venues
• Unique design of church building—distinctive look from the outside (though still not visible enough to others)
• The Centennial/Labyrinth Garden and other green spaces
• History of the parish
• The Chapel

Ideas for Broad Improvements in the Site and Buildings

• Address any system upgrades/repairs/maintenance, factor in energy efficiency in all that we do
• Do any other needed maintenance on buildings in order to better care for what we have already
• Create accessibility from the outside and better accessibility of one space to another
• Repair and update parish hall, kitchen, classrooms
• Build another bathroom at the entrance to the church
• Increase visibility of the church even more
• Integrate and connect buildings to green spaces
• Work on identifying more parking for people in the neighborhood

What We Love about our Worship Space

• Space is basically sound—the verticality of the space, shape of the space creates sense of mystery
• Natural light
• Intimacy of the space supports community
• Suspended choir loft
• Focus on the altar
• Acoustics
• Beams
• Frontals
• Simplicity of design
• Pulpit

Ideas to Strengthen/Improve/Change Worship Space

• Repair/replace side windows in the church
• Use a different color behind the altar and eliminate marks related to water damage
• Create a more open, more light-filled and more welcoming entrance to church
• Update/replace lighting in the church; find ways to have more natural light
• Increase overall integration of elements in the church and make it more beautiful
• Create stronger baptismal area with larger font
• Repair and update organ as needed
• Explore new art for the church—crucifix, Mary, other statues
• Update choir loft as needed—chairs, rail, use of space, address any safety issues
• Protect strong acoustics in whatever improvements we make
• Consider moveable chairs and more flexibility in the way we worship
• On Chapel, find way to enter from the outside and refresh as needed

Wishes/Concerns about the Process

• Keep the parish involved—create a process that listens and makes decisions
• Develop an overall plan with a clear list of priorities. Be clear about the scope of any project.
• Articulate a theology for what we are doing. Pray during and for the process.
• Be “cautiously brav.”
• Provide a facilities tour for people newer to the parish so they can better understand the issues.
• Take as long as we need and be clear with people about what timeline we’re following.
• That we do what is affordable for us and that we don’t define too early what we can afford. Plan that projects will go over budget.
• Get expert guidance on the aesthetics
• Get someone outside to help us with the process
• Communicate...communicate...communicate. Use the website to do this.

Our site

Our site is made up of a) an office building which includes an office area, bathroom, All Saints Chapel, and two sacristies (upstairs) and two bathrooms, classrooms, an office and two storage areas (downstairs); b) a ground floor church building with a choir loft and office area above it and a parish hall, kitchen and storage area below c) four green areas including a labyrinth garden and a memorial garden, and d) a small parking lot

Actions/efforts to upgrade the site and its buildings

While a number of improvement projects have occurred on the site and in the church, the parish has not done a major renovation effort since the building of the church building in 1962 (the same year as the building of the Space Needle).

Some of the improvement projects have been: a new roof on the church, replacement of the skylights in the church, the building of the Centennial Garden and the labyrinth along with new signage and a new fence around the property, a new pulpit, replacement of light fixtures in the church, the addition of statues in the nave and new artwork in the Chapel, the renovation of our children’s formation room, some minor renovations of the office space.

Exploring the site and building renovation: recent happenings and what has happened so far this year

• Desire for some renovation has been in the parish for some time: a desire to have a permanent immersion baptismal font and a need/desire to repair the windows in the church
• More significant renovation occurred during the interim period with the building of the Centennial garden and labyrinth which raised the visibility of the parish and offered an oasis to the Uptown community as well as a method of prayer and meditation that many could experience.
• The 2007 Summer Institute at Seattle University was on the subject of sacred spaces. Mother Melissa was asked to serve as part of the faculty, and St. Paul’s sent or was represented by fifteen people in attendance (more than any other parish in the history of the Summer Institute). Participants at the Institute learned about the history of sacred spaces and principles related to church and site renovations and got very excited about the prospect of beginning building renovation again in the parish. Mother Melissa did two workshops in which attendees took a tour of our primary worship space and commented on both the strengths and the areas needing strengthening in our primary worship space.
• In the fall of 2007, the parish held a foundation course entitled “Re-pitching the Tent: Sacred Spaces as Formative of the People of God and the People of St. Paul’s.” About 35 people attended and a) learned about the history of Christian holy spaces, b) the four focus areas in Christian spaces based on important liturgical actions (font/baptism, altar/Eucharist, assembly/prayer, and ambo/word), c) learned about the connection between holy space and context/mission and d) explored the strengths and areas needing strengthening at St. Paul’s based on a list of principles. Again, participants were excited at the prospect of doing a renovation project.
• In the fall of 2007 the Vestry engaged an outside inspector to do a building inspection of the property. What we heard from the inspector was that the structures were fundamentally sound and that a) we continue to evaluate, monitor and set aside monies to replace roofs within the next ten to fifteen years, b) we do some minor electrical and plumbing upgrades, c) we begin to plan for the replacement of our furnaces, and c) we address crawlspace issues and wood to earth contact around the perimeter in the office building, and d) we establish a regular maintenance schedule for the entire site.
• Currently a consultation group (the group that attended the Summer Institute plus the wardens and one other Vestry member) exists to work with the rector to think through what we might do to further the conversation about space renovation in the parish. Mother Melissa will also be forming a small process team to guide the process in the very short term, drawing on some trained facilitators in the parish.

Consultation Group

A Working List of Principles for the
Assessment/Renovation of
Worship Space at St. Paul’s

• First things first: Emphasis on the primary liturgical actions/primary liturgical focal points (Assembly at Prayer, Baptism, Eucharist, Word)
• Makes sense and is experienced as an integrated whole: Overall space, objects and artwork feel like they belong together. All the different elements in the space express an integrated and harmonious whole.
• Functionality: Helps us do what we need to do comfortably. Doesn’t make us do things we do not want to do.
• Accessibility: Manifests the hospitality of God in that people of differing physical abilities can easily enter and feel comfortable and welcomed in our worship spaces.
• Supportive acoustics: Supports the human voice, singers, choirs, musical instruments.
• Anglo-Catholic Spirituality: Gives attention to unique features of Anglo-Catholic identity (Marian devotions, presence of the reserved sacrament, sense of reverence and mystery in worship)
• Anglo-Catholic Beauty: Expresses the Anglo-Catholic love of beauty by

• A commitment to care for what is already present (cleaning, repairing, painting)

• Simplicity of design rather than clutter

• Attentiveness to the seasons and the skies

• Colors, images, furniture that does not compete for attention

• Real materials and, where possible, local materials that express our unique context

• Context and Unique Heritage: Connects and ministers/evangelizes to our specific context; builds on the unique heritage of the parish (decision to stay in the Uptown neighborhood, connection to the hopefulness and energy of the World’s Fair etc)
• Flexibility: Accommodates different sizes of congregations in a comfortable and intimate way.
• Supports future renovation: Simplicity of line and form that allows future generations to continue to renovate