It’s All in the Details
I believe “measure twice, cut once” is an apt motto for the Cornerstone Project. It’s a reminder that I whisper to myself whenever I do carpentry work at home. And I think it perfectly applies to what the Accessibility Atrium Working Group (AAWG) has undertaken for the past four years. We have been liaising with the architects and engineers to create plans and then we slowly double-check them in order to prevent irreversible and costly mistakes.
It is a privilege to work with such a talented group drawn from our own congregation. We leverage the wisdom of two architects, the parish’s current property manager, a city planner, a facilitation and stewardship expert, multiple past and current wardens, and our rector. And it’s a good thing, too, because it has been complicated! One example is the current focus of the architects and the structural engineers on snow load. You may not be aware that last winter, the buildup of ice and snow on the parish hall roof suddenly slid off and ripped away eaves and downspouts in the breezeway! So how will our new atrium fare? We have consulted a climate and performance engineering firm that specializes in how snow drifts and accumulates on complex roofs. They have told our architects and engineers that the highest snow load on the glass of the atrium will occur where the slope of the church roof, just east of the transept, will cause snow to slide onto the glass skylight. And they have suggested mitigations we will all be considering in the next few weeks.
Our team is a committed group. Professional obligations sometimes make it hard to participate in meetings, but the members always find ways to contribute. I remember one meeting when Lorne Swan was calling in from a cruise ship! On another occasion, while on vacation at his cottage, Bob Sims, our primary architect from KPMB, led a virtual meeting from the dock, where the signal is best. And Fr. Humphrey is so adept at taking in all the detail and then putting it into straightforward terms. His presentation to the city’s Heritage Planning staff was impressive.
It is an honour to be part of the AAWG, and I am deeply grateful for your continued prayers and support of the project as the architects begin the Construction Documentation Phase and we move closer to breaking ground. I am looking forward to seeing the construction get underway, and then again to seeing the dust finally settle. I love imagining the vibrant scene after a Sunday service — the atrium filled with light, and people lingering and interacting as they move together easily from the church to the parish hall for coffee hour.
Rob Kennedy
Chair of the Accessibility Atrium Working Group