Project Details: Autumn Ridge Church
Rochester, MN
December 2005
Introduction
In early 2003, AVE began working with the building team (Station 19 Architects) of Autumn Ridge Church (formerly First Baptist Church), one of the largest congregations in Rochester, MN. The vision for acoustics, sound, video and lighting began to emerge for the new sanctuary and support spaces.
Acoustics
;)
Acoustically, the vision for the new 1100 seat sanctuary was very unique. The church does traditional organ and orchestral worship, as well as extensive contemporary music programming. To accomplish both worship styles, AVE designed several key hard surface reflective properties into the room to accommodate "natural" acoustics. A hard wood stage and hard acoustical clouds above key areas project natural acoustics to the congregation. For contemporary worship, extensive low frequency absorption, wall shaping and diffusion were designed. This difficult blend of room acoustics was AVE's first project of this kind and was a design built using EASE 4.1 computer modeling.
Audio
;)
The concert-level audio system for the wide "fan-shaped" room was also very unique. Using the Midas Verona mixing console's Spatial Image System (SIS), the church can pan in left/center/right L-C-R mode. The system features the new single point source EAW AX series speakers flown above in biamp mode. Three subwoofer chambers are built into the stage with the low profile Bag End infra subs for tight responsive bass. Aviom personal monitor mixing and QSC Basis DSP control are integrated into this high end system.
Video
;)
Autumn Ridge's new sanctuary also featured two wide aspect 16:9 rear projection screens built for long-term growth of high definition content.
Video inputs were planned for camera inputs in floor pockets, stage plates and wall plates. A dedicated video production room was also designed behind the sanctuary wall with a window looking into the sanctuary.
Lighting
;)
AVE designed a lighting system for the sanctuary that features a lighting grid with a catwalk. Light distribution bars were placed in relation to the stage and main floor with DMX control for the 96 circuit capacity. All lighting in the room functions on a new dimming system which allows for full scene and production control.
Additional Information
Autumn Ridge was completed December 2005 and is one of AVE's largest new construction projects.
"We’ve now been in the room for over a year, and a couple of recent concerts have demonstrated AVE’s ability to think outside the box and deliver a room other acousticians said couldn’t be done. Because of our commitment to multiple worship formats, we needed a room that would function as well in a choral/orchestral format as in a contemporary worship format. In the span of six weeks, two concerts at Autumn Ridge revealed the flexibility of AVE’s design. The Bethel University Choir performed an all a capella concert here in March and Caedmon’s Call was here in April. Both events were an acoustical success. No audio reinforcement was used for the Bethel concert, and the room was “live” enough to make for a great choral event. Caedmon’s Call ran the system up to the 110dB range with a sound that featured clear percussion and superb bass response. Our doors are always open to anyone who wants to see and hear our room."
- Bill Price, Worship Pastor, May 2007