Interfaith Design

What opportunities do you see for shared interests and activity between IFRAA and WFX?  Between IFRAA and USITT?  IFRAA and NACDB? Any other groups that make sense as partners?

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Ronald Geyer AIA
Ministry and Cultural Studio Leader
Craig Gaulden and Davis, Inc.
Greenville SC
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Thank you for your suggestion.  I have always supported the teaming of IFRAA with other organizations to provide value to our membership for special events.  What is critical is that those organizations share our values.  I am very familiar with WFX, having attended and exhibited at several of their national conventions.  WFX is a for profit organization that is driven to succeed as a business marketing products and services in the mega-church religious market.  There is very little to no emphasis on promoting design excellence to mega-churches other that which is entirely incidental to selling of stuff.  USITT is a performance theatre organization with little concern about excellence in religious architecture.  The National Association of Church Design Builders is likewise not a good fit for teaming with IFRAA in my opinion.  They are driven by the desire to market the cheapest possible construction solutions to very naive religious organizations at the expense of appropriate architectural responses to faith traditions with no consideration for design excellence and lasting financial value.  I am all for teaming to provide value for IFRAA members in various activities.  IFRAA has done that successfully with local AIA Chapters and other organizations.  However the organizations that are cited in the post below are antithetical for the values of IFRAA and exhibit little to no concern for citical issues of today including sustainability and lasting value.  Teaming is a great idea with right partners.      

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Paul Harding, FAIA
Partner
Harding Partners
Chicago, Illinois
Past Chair of the IFRAA National Advisory Group
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If any of the potential partners for IFRAA were perfect matches, there would be no need for IFRAA.  I think a better question to ask is: "Is there value to architects even if we don't share identical purposes?"  "Excellence in religious architecture" is abetted when architects understand the values and practices addressed at WFX, whatever the conference's primary motives.  It is also advanced when architects understand that most (but not all) traditions rely on the effective communication of important images and messages in a built environment and look to glean skills from those who pursue the same for secular purposes.  It is also advanced when we learn to talk constructively with others in the construction market and look for a variety of ways to help our clients be better stewards.

Conference for Catholic Facility Management