UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND/OR VITALITY OF THE REGION OR COMMUNITY

Refurbished Sanctuary lighting

Rising almost ten-feet-tall from base to top, the sanctuary’s chandeliers are wonderful objects of complex geometry that complement the church’s Gothic architecture. Their metal surfaces have developed a rich patina over time. Pierced openings filled with stained glass and mica sparkle when the fixtures are illuminated. Large tassels dangle from the bottom of each chandelier.

These fixtures are unique and very special to the congregation. Unfortunately, they didn’t provide enough illumination for the sanctuary. In the 1980s, church leaders attempted to improve the level of light by adding four vertical elements around the perimeter of each fixture. This provided some additional down lighting but not enough to meet the current congregations’ requirements.

We removed those attachments and rebuilt and re-lamped the interior of each chandelier. Then we added a new ring of light to the lower half of each fixture, enclosed in a matching metal ring.

In FPC Greensboro’s faith tradition, there is a theology of place. It was inherited from their Jewish ancestors, to whom the land and the Temple were sacred spaces. Their Scottish/Celtic ancestors called them thin places, “where the boundary between heaven and earth is especially thin … where you can sense the divine more readily.” Their Sanctuary is such a space.

In the 1920s, the members had a peculiar idea to hire a noted Manhattan architect to build a Gothic cathedral in a small Southern city of 25,000. To add to the rarity, the architect, Hobart Upjohn, based his ideas on a 13th century cathedral in France, a fortress-like edifice that is one of the largest brick structures in the world and took two centuries to build. In 1929 it opened … a Greensboro cathedral where the exterior promises endurance and strength and the interior invites us to draw closer to God through the beautiful craftsmanship of many hands art, symbols, wood carvings, stained glass, handpainted stencils and ornate lanterns under a soaring, 80-foot ceiling.

This tall thin place is on the edge of downtown, in Greensboro’s first suburb, developed when Capt. Basil Fisher donated land for a park. It sits across Greene Street from Temple Emanuel’s original worship space, which was also designed by Upjohn. A Star of David, in one of First

Presbyterian Church’s stained glass windows, facing the Temple, is a symbol of the deep, century-long friendship between the congregations. From here, you can stroll to the new minor league baseball park, the Cultural Arts Center and Center City Park, and to the construction sites for the new Greensboro Performing Arts Center and the Carolyn and Maurice LeBauer City Park.

Greensboro’s downtown is in the midst of a renaissance, and the renovation, a 20-month, $15 million project, was part of it. The church feeds 150 homeless guests two nights a week, sponsors a job/life training ministry, educates dozens of preschool children, leases affordable space to Habitat for Humanity, houses Faith Action, a community ministry for new immigrants, runs a jobs ministry for unemployed or underemployed professionals, and is involved in a dozen other “missions.” Their campus isn’t just a place where these things happen. It is a place where people are inspired to make them happen. Their experience is that you cannot segregate buildings from mission.

The way in which people in their congregation talk about this place, the tone in which they speak of the weddings, the baptisms, the funerals, the midnight Christmas Eve candlelight services, the bagpipes on Reformation Sunday, the organ’s deep tremor on Good Friday or the soaring of the Hallelujah Chorus on Easter, shows that their Sanctuary is a source of inspiration and a “thin place.”

Knowing that there is a lot more inspiration to come, the church undertook a year-long journey to strategize, plan, raise money, plan some more, and camp outside their walls so they could not just preserve this space, but also expand its possibilities:

Make it green. Replace the original wiring, plumbing and HVAC. Install lights that come on and go off depending on the activity in a room. Install systems that allow them to regulate heat and air by room or building, instead of the whole campus either on, off, or half-on/half-off.

Make it functional. Upgrade audio-visual technology. Install a hearing loop in the floor. Webcast the worship service. Add unobtrusive flat screens so people in the back can see. Increase the lighting.

Make it welcoming. Give people a place to start when they reach the campus – a welcome center/café/solarium/bookstore/coffee shop. Have a nearby spot for children. Comfortable chairs. Tables to work on. Things to read. A place to meet new minds.

Make it inspiring. Repair the stenciling. Refinish the pews. Wash the ceiling with oil soap and water. Restore the Sanctuary to its historic beauty.

When they began raising money for the project, their theme was, “So that we may do AMAZING things in the name of Christ.” What has been amazing for them is:

The commitment of their friends. Temple Emanuel allowed them to worship each Sunday in its former building. First Baptist hosted their large funerals. Canterbury Episcopal opened its chapel for Christmas Eve services. The Greensboro Grasshoppers loaned their stadium for an unforgettable, windy Easter Sunday celebration, complete with the Sermon on the Mound.

The far-flung visitors. Among the people who have come to see the project are an architecture aficionado whose own home was designed by Upjohn and a busload of tourists from a seminary in South Korea who believe First Presbyterian Church sponsored missionaries to their village in the 19th century.

The sense of a future they cannot see. The day the Sanctuary was rededicated, an electrician brought his young son to the balcony and pointed out which chandeliers he had wired. It makes you wonder if someday this boy will bring his own children and show them their grandfather’s touch in this place.

In business, sometimes you have to take a leap in faith. In the faith business, sometimes you just take a leap. Six weeks after the Sanctuary opened in 1929, the market crashed and the Great Depression began. In the wake of the Panic of 2008, they decided to raise millions of dollars to renovate this space. And like those who came before them, they are amazed at what faith has inspired.

Unique Design Or Innovation Aspects Of The Project

Frank L. Blum Construction Company completed the comprehensive renovation of the historic Main and Smith Buildings for First Presbyterian Church Greensboro in time for the congregation to hold Christmas services on December 21, 2014. The project completely replaced the aging HVAC and electrical systems in the buildings, as well as repurposed all three floors of the Smith Building and the lower level of the Main Building.

Solutions were often worked out in large meetings, then double checked against the conditions existing in the building itself. For example, the building was not designed to have large ducts and air conditioning, so ways to accommodate the new systems within the aesthetic and physical framework of the existing building had to be devised. These varied from floor to floor and space to space. Most of the systems on the third floor could be tucked into the attic space above. Those on the first floor were either tucked into a crawl space or into a channel carved out for that purpose. The second floor, with its tall arched windows, posed the largest challenge. Decorative cabinetry (replicas of 1920s radiator enclosures) hides those units placed under windows; a soffit in the hallway hides ductwork without compromising the beauty of the existing architecture.

The work in the Sanctuary was, in many ways, the most unique work done on the project. Scaffolding was installed from floor to ceiling in the eightyfoot-tall space, allowing crews to remove, and ultimately reinstall, twelve 450-pound chandeliers that were restored and upgraded by artisans in Virginia. The ornately-painted wood ceiling was cleaned and restored to its former grandeur. Skilled plasterers and artists restored the handpainted mural on the wall behind the chancel. The magnificent stained glass windows were cleaned. New audio-visual equipment was painstakingly installed to hide any wiring from view, and now provide a world-class experience for the congregation. The final product is a Sanctuary displaying historic items that are preserved in, restored to, and/or renovated from, their original state.

The more traditional and formal social spaces near the entrance transitioned to spaces with more casual, colorful furniture and fabrics. The design team was challenged to make these spaces as open and light-filled as possible. A small, window-lined addition was nestled into the building and spaces around it were reorganized and redesigned. The resulting solarium is a vibrant, upbeat space with fun and flexible furnishings that support a variety of activities. In the adjacent library, one person can work or two can collaborate face-to-face with the open carrels. A children’s room is populated with cool and colorful furniture in bright orange, blue and lime green. The coffee shop/bistro provides comfortable chairs in a relaxing environment.

In considering the interior design, especially, decisions had to be made in terms of what could be kept and what needed to be re-worked. CJMW interior designer Carol Wooley said, “We refinished wood floors where we could; some had to be replaced because they couldn’t be brought back into a functional condition.”

Construction challenges on the project or innovation in construction techniques or use of materials

Extensive scaffolding needed for restoration

During the construction phase, the entire team had to work quickly to come up with solutions as problems arose from unforeseen and c oncealed conditions. Asbestos abatement was an unexpected issue that required much attention to obtain the proper resolution and allow the project to progress. When suspicions that asbestos was present arose, the area could not be disturbed, so everyone had to be kept out of the area until a positive or negative result was confirmed.

Asbestos containing plaster, textured ceilings and thermal insulation had to be abated.

Another unforeseen issue included water. An extremely high water table made it impossible to cut the boiler room floor to install underground conduit and floor drains. A secondary concrete slab system was devised so the conduit could be installed on top of the existing floor slab.

During construction, all of the construction traffic and machinery continued while school programs, funerals, and special church services carried on without interruption. This required constant communication and coordination with the entire design team, construction team and vendors. Tim Millisor, Director of Properties, was very involved in the project, provided team coordination, and offered invaluable solutions.

During the interior renovation, water intrusion was discovered high on the exterior walls near the roof intersection. Investigation of the roof leaks led to discovering severe deterioration of the cast-stone roof features. In some locations, the cast-stones were loose and ready to spall, creating a safety concern. Since the discovered conditions were not expected, plans were devised to repair, secure and remove some of the components until more extensive repairs could be made. A hidden scaffolding support system that could be used for future waterproofing projects that may be necessary was erected.

Portions of the components removed had to be saved so that molds could be fabricated to reproduce the original architecture. The most significant challenge to accomplishing the short term unexpected repairs was gaining access to investigate and perform work on the architectural cast-stone coping and turrets. The upper roof eaves are approximately 80 feet above grade, and the top of the tallest turrets extends up another 30 feet. Access was provided by erecting ladder type scaffolding around the entire building perimeter, up to the roof eave, and up and around all turrets.

The Smith building was equipped with a new fire protection sprinkler system. Though it was very difficult to install this new system in a historic building, it was an important design component. A complete fire alarm system was provided throughout all levels of the Sanctuary and Smith building. The main fire alarm panel was sized to monitor the entire campus with capability for future expansion.

Blum Construction and SKA contracted with Scott Richardson of Light Defines Form in Greensboro, to assist in providing the design of the entire sanctuary lighting system. The team worked with Richardson and Crenshaw Lighting to refurbish and upgrade the original sanctuary while maintaining the aesthetic integrity of the pendant lights. Crenshaw, a nationally known custom lighting manufacturer, is located in Floyd, Virginia, making it easy for the team and church representatives to tour the facility and make decisions right in the workshop. The new lamps have an extended fixture life and will not need to be changed as often; replacement is quite a production requiring the use of hydraulic lifts.

Blum and SKA worked with David Greenberg, founder of Connecticut-based Creative Acoustics, to minimize mechanical system sound in the sanctuary. The team’s solutions exceeded Greenberg’s expectations by achieving a mechanical system with almost no perceivable sound.

The HVAC system included a new central utility plant with air handling units, fan coil units, and dedicated outdoor air units. New boilers and chillers were located in the existing boiler room; a new cooling tower was placed in the courtyard near the Life Center; and the heating system now serves Corl and Memorial buildings, while the cooling system is sized for future expansion.

The electrical system for the Main and Smith buildings was replaced in its entirety. The existing Corl and Memorial buildings’ service was resupplied from the new main switchboard. Provisions were made in electrical system sizing for service extension to future church expansion.

The many challenges of up-fitting a historic landmark building with new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection/fire alarm systems included bringing some areas up to code, protecting key historic elements during construction, and getting equipment in and out through small access doors. Even removing the old boiler (which served the church well since 1928) required torch cutting into manageable pieces and hoisting them through a portal created for the process. The church dubbed the process a farewell party for “Big John”. By creating something new from something old, modern systems provide value through energy efficiency , and historic beauty shines more brightly through lights designed to reflect the past while celebrating the future.