Reasons for Mega-Churches
Just as the industrial revolution aided in the spread of religion population growth, the advancements in recent centuries have also compounded that trend. “Today, “Mega-Churches” have up to 15,000 members and specialized facilities are spread around campuses of up to 1,000 acres.” Many factors to why or even how this change occurred can be observed. The first of which can be attributed to the number of religions that are presently followed. Covering all countries in the world it is estimated that there are some 4,300 faith groups. “In addition to Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, there are Muslim mosques, Hindu, Shinto and Buddhist temples and undefined New Age religious groups that meet in homes.” Currently it is estimated that the world population is 6.5 billion, 300 million who live in the United States. In 2002, 88% of people in the United States claimed they were affiliated with some type of religion. The map below shows the major religion per state.
If we only look at the Catholic religion, which is the major religion in most all states, has an estimated 23,000 churches across the United States where its 53 million parishioners worship. If evenly spread for each of the 50 states that would be 460 Catholic churches per state with an average of 2,400 adherents per church. Taking into account the remaining religions, we can deduct that the population of religious adherents could be a factor in the rise of “Mega-Churches”.
This rise can also been due to the willingness of worshippers to drive a distance to a place they feel comfortable. The shear number of potential congregants has multiplied exponentially compared to the walking distance community central church. Choice and competition are now helping make decisions on where to worship. While marketing and tailored programs to attract congregants are now the tools of the modern religion.
Worship has also changed; Religion has modernized its approach to service. Service now is known to include stage lighting, video screens, alternative services and expanded services. Services are now held on almost any day of the week or at least some type of event sponsored by the religious institution.
The paradigm for the liturgy is once again the theatrical event, in which the priest and ministers are the actors.
The church building is now used for more reasons than worship. “Besides its primary role of providing a suitable place for the celebration of the liturgical rites, the church building also offers a place to which individuals may come to pray in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, and in which groups of the faithful may gather for a rich variety of devotions expressive of the faith life of a give culture, region, or ethnic community.” The program of a typical religious building now consists of a bookstore, child care center, preschool, computer labs, gymnasium and youth ministries, no longer just a space to worship, a table and a chair.
Posted in Editorial and tagged architecture, buildings, christianity, church, churches, jewish, religion, worship by Studio Render with 31 comments.
BedZED
Americans have drifted away from the days of the residence above a business and now have adapted to the long commute and the dependence on the automobile. Dunphy (1997), In the United States from 1950-1990 the suburbs grew from 23%-47% (150 million to 250 million) while the cities declined from 33%-29% of the population. The Industrial Revolution started the trend where families no longer worked together either on the farm or as tradesmen. Men went to work at the factories and the women were homemakers. Today, Calthorpe (2000) claims “Everyone wants a detached home in the suburbs” and “25% of the populations buying new homes are middle-class families with kids.” The fact is the suburbanites who have taken to their subdivisions, 2-car garage and trips to the strip mall have not been given another option. There are other options. A development in Hackbridge, Sutton (UK) has come up with a possible solution to the environmental problem. This Zero-Energy Live/Work development they have created, dubbed BedZED, makes a sustainable stance in design as well.
The BedZED development is important to the Architectural community because it is bringing to light that this type of eco-friendly structure is possible, a
affordable and that there is a want and need for it in today’s world. Gregory (2003) “ZED Factory has been inundated with people wanting to do a ZED (a zero energy development). With a wait list of over 700 people it is clear that BedZED is responding to a real need, and when sufficient clusters of people emerge other developments will be built.” Dunster claims that he plays developers at their own game, being able to present a comparable home for the same price, but with the promise of an environmentally sound structure. Change is tough but knowledge is key. Upfront costs can be made back with time, in this case acheived by reclaiming brownfields, recycling materials and a design that allows a living structure. It is very possible to replicate and produce the same results on a regular basis, as long as someone is willing to take that chance at change.
“Building, structures are what it is all about. Many “environmentally” sensitive buildings go unnoticed due to their “low profile”; and yet deserve to be recognized and set forward as an example of good Architecture.” William Allen (2004). The low-profile of such buildings must no longer go unnoticed and the public must understand its responsibility to mother earth for the sake of their health and the future for our children.
Posted in Sustainable and tagged americans, architecture, BedZED, green, social problems, suburbs, Sustainable, technology by Studio Render with 11 comments.
BIM
In a recent story published Globe Newspaper Company, the issue of BIM (Building Image Modeling) has been brought to the mainstream eye. As a 3d-modeler in the architecture business myself I find it nice to see someone realizing the value 3d models can have.
“This is a paradigm shift in the industry,” said David S. Dutton, Suffolk’s manager of estimating services.
BIM has been around for more than a decade, but only in recent years has it become the industry standard. The process was used in an estimated 60 percent of commercial and institutional construction projects in 2008, up from 30 percent in 2007 and 15 percent in 2006, said Jan Reinhardt of Adept Project Delivery, a Pittsburgh firm Suffolk hired to consult on its BIM efforts.
In almost all cases, officials said, the process saves time and money. It also eliminates the often testy meetings between subcontractors as they try to determine how to make changes to a building under construction. With BIM, conflicts are resolved in meetings that take place before a shovel goes in the ground.
Find the entire article at: BIM Article
Posted in Product Review and tagged 3d, architecture, BIM, construction, Discussion, estimating, image, model, modeler, project by Studio Render with 4 comments.
