The decision to renovate, restore, or beautify a church must begin with a unified vision. The early stages of a restoration or beautification project typically include research, watercolor renderings and full scale mock-ups. These three steps bring the project from an idea to a formalized plan of approach.
The research portion includes a dive into archival history as well as a physical study of the building. Through a historic paint analysis, we are capable of peeling back layers of overpaint to reveal the original decoration and color scheme. Once uncovered, this information may be illustrated in a watercolor rendering.
If there is interest in new design, there are often many ideas and questions about the possibilities for the interior. The design phase can explore these ideas through pencil and watercolor renderings. Listening to the likes and dislikes of the parish, studying the architectural lines of the structure and reviewing the historical evidence, we are capable of presenting the possibilities for beautification using renderings as visual aids. The design process may go through several sketches before coming to the finalized drawing.
The mock-up is the most powerful and complete exercise in the design process. During the mock-up, the proposed scheme is installed in a contained area within the church at full scale. This allows the congregation to appreciate the color and volume of the decoration in place within the church. The contrast between existing (often) whitewashed walls and the newly proposed scheme promotes great excitement for the project.
Not only do these visual aids allow for easier decision making in the development of a harmonized interior scheme; but the finalized rendering and mock-up are excellent tools in communicating the design intent for interior to the congregation. For this reason, the rendering and the mock-up are crucial to the fundraising process. The mock-up is especially successful in raising interest in the project just by nature of the contrast the new scheme sets against the existing wall colors.
For more information regarding research, renderings and mock-ups during the beginning stages of a project, please continue to our website. Every project is different and requires a tailored approach to research and design in order to address the specific needs of the church. Should there be any questions regarding this process or interest in starting a project, please fill out the Request Consultation form or reply to this email.