Positioning for growth - a building project update
If you were on the recent Building Project Update Zoom call, thank you for joining us. And if you weren’t able to make it, I wanted to share a short summary of where things have got to with the Farnborough building and what’s coming next. (If you prefer, scroll to the end to watch a recording of the meeting). There has been a lot happening behind the scenes over the past few months and it really feels like we are moving from dreaming and planning into some very practical next steps.
A big step forward
One of the biggest developments since our last update is that we have now officially appointed our architect for the project. We have been working with Allen and Associates for a while now, and up until this point they have supported us incredibly generously as we explored options and developed early ideas.
Alongside this, we have also appointed:
a structural engineer
a building services consultant (to help with heating, ventilation and energy use)
a quantity surveyor (to estimate and manage project costs)
and a planning expert
All of this has enabled us to take another really significant step, which is that we have now submitted a full planning application to Rushmoor Borough Council. In reality, we are making very minimal changes to the outside of the building at this stage, mainly things like a new roof, some plant equipment and a fire escape. These are all improvements and nothing controversial, so we are hopeful that the process will be fairly straightforward.
Rethinking Phase 1
Originally, Phase 1 of the project was focused on replacing the entire roof, installing heating in the auditorium and making improvements to the outside of the building. But over the last 18 months the church in Farnborough has grown and developed, and that has helped us to reassess what is most important right now.
We asked the question: what are the biggest things currently holding us back from growing well as a church? Two things kept coming up again and again.
The first is simply the comfort of the auditorium. Many of you will know exactly what that means if you have sat on ,Sundays or mid-week, wrapped in layers trying to keep warm! It impacts how long people want to stay, how easy it is to invite others along, and ultimately how welcoming the environment feels.
The second is space for kids and youth. These ministries have grown brilliantly over the past year, but we are increasingly limited by the number and type of rooms we have available. Different age groups need different environments, and without the ability to spread out we risk reaching a point where we simply cannot cater for families well.
So Phase 1 has now been revised to focus on addressing those two key areas.
Making the auditorium warm and welcoming
The main change we are proposing for the auditorium is the installation of an underfloor heating system across the whole floor. For a space of this size, underfloor heating is actually the recommended way to heat it. Rather than trying to warm the entire volume of air in the room, it heats from the ground up, which is where people are. It should create a much more even and comfortable temperature throughout the space and use significantly less energy than our current gas heaters.
This system would be powered by air source heat pumps rather than gas boilers. While these are more expensive to install, they are much more energy efficient and help us move towards reducing the building’s carbon usage over time. They also pair really well with future improvements such as insulation and solar panels when we come to later phases of the project.
As part of this work, the auditorium will also be rotated by 90 degrees into its final planned layout. This means that any infrastructure we begin installing now, such as power and IT, can be run to its permanent location rather than needing to be moved again in future phases.
We will also install partition walls to help retain heat and improve the separation between the auditorium and other areas such as kids check in. It won’t be the ‘finished’ auditorium, but it’ll be a lot more comfortable in the winter months!
Creating new space upstairs
The second major part of Phase 1 is bringing the currently unused first floor office area back into use, above the area known at ‘The Hub’. Some of you may have seen this space when we opened it up at the last in person meeting. At the moment it has rotten flooring and is locked off for safety reasons. The plan is to refurbish this area completely to create:
two large multi use rooms
a small office or pastoral space
a toilet
These rooms will be roughly classroom sized and could accommodate around 20 people each, giving us valuable additional space for kids and youth on Sundays as well as for small groups and ministry midweek.
This will involve some additional structural work and the installation of new windows to bring in natural light, as well as fire protection work to the floor below so that the space can be used safely. Once completed, this part of the building would be finished to its final standard and ready for long term use.
Timings and costs
Early estimates suggest that these works could take around 8 to 10 weeks in total, with the auditorium potentially being out of use for around 3 to 4 Sundays while the heating system is installed and the space is reconfigured. We are exploring options for how we would meet during that time, with summer currently looking like the most practical window to carry out the work.
Estimated costs are:
£247,000 for the auditorium works
£236,000 for the first floor refurbishment
Giving a total of approximately £483,000.
We currently have around £240,000 in the building fund, leaving a gap of roughly £243,000.
The question we are prayerfully considering now is whether we move forward with both of these elements together this summer. Doing so would be more efficient and avoid repeated disruption later on, as well as addressing both of the key issues that currently limit our growth as a site.
Please pray with us
This is all very fresh information for us as a leadership team, and we are continuing to work through the details with our trustees and advisors.
We would really value your prayers as we consider the next steps. That God would give us wisdom as we steward the building well, courage where faith is needed, and unity as a community as we continue creating a space that will serve people in Farnborough for many years to come. And of course, for financial provision to come!
Should you want a greater level of detail, you can watch a recording of the zoom meeting HERE. (passcode: ^p8ksU+t )
Thank you so much for your ongoing support and generosity as we move forward together.
Sonia
Farnborough Site Pastor