One of the segments that grows the most in the use of audiovisual systems in Latin America are churches and houses of worship, a trend deeply rooted in other areas such as the United States and that in ours grows.
Richard Santa
Sound system, video, streaming and even video production, are the most common solutions in churches and houses of worship today. They have acquired such importance that many of these spaces end up serving as scenes for events on days when there are no religious services.
To learn more about the audiovisual trends most used in churches and houses of worship, AVI LATINOAMÉRICA spoke with Andrés Núñez, CEO of the company Psicoacústica, which has been specializing in creating sensations through image and sound, which help strengthen the preaching prepared by the priest or pastor.
It is currently part of an international alliance called Grupo Empresarial Adoración Visual, based in Colombia (Bogotá, Cali and Bucaramanga) and the United States (Orlando, Florida), which offers a certified solution with all professional standards and with a spiritual sense and approach, in which they not only design and teach the correct use of technology, they integrate it to create a direct communication with the faithful and the word executed in action for the growth of the community.
AVI: What kind of churches and houses of worship are the ones that are most looking for audiovisual solutions?
Andrés Núñez: The Christian Churches focused on evangelical doctrine are the ones that most need solutions in the audiovisual field, Catholic doctrine is also growing passively in the face of this need, since the concept varies in its spiritual development.
AVI: How much knowledge do representatives of temples and houses of worship have about audiovisual solutions and their scope?
Andrés Núñez: At present, we have advanced in the culture of knowledge. There is a concern to learn about issues that concern the audiovisual field and so that representatives can deliver a professional service to the community.
It is clear that there is still a gap and that most Churches have acquired their knowledge in a self-taught way, but they have made the effort to be able to deepen their studies through educational entities or specialized companies that provide workshops and seminars, the same factories have put interest to train such personnel, and thus achieve a correct use of their technology.
AVI: What are the most common audiovisual needs in temples and houses of worship?
Andrés Núñez: According to the doctrine, the priorities are based. For example, the Catholic Church has as a priority the sound system, Churches of Evangelical doctrines, has as a priority the integration of video, sound and artistic lighting, since it is an essential resource for the development of its cults in general.
AVI: Does the architecture of temples and houses of worship play an important role in the audiovisual solutions to choose from?
Andrés Núñez: Yes, when you have a clear concept from an architectural point of view, the installation and commissioning of the different audiovisual equipment is facilitated, since in the design it is developed to the extent of the different tools that are required in an audiovisual project. Elements such as the height of the enclosure, are essential to locate a suitable solution in the video, sound and artistic lighting, as well as the acoustics and colors of the enclosure for a correct video capture.
AVI: Many claim that houses of worship today resemble auditoriums and event halls, how true is this statement from AV technology?
Andrés Núñez: Yes, the evangelical doctrine is one of the pioneers, because the concept of auditorium covers a set of properties that begins with an architectural infrastructure that provides access to an audience for the development of an event, with pre-established acoustics according to the activity to be developed, helped with audiovisual tools, ambient and artistic lighting, to safety in terms of evacuation and protection of the disabled. Today all this is offered by the Churches in their enclosures.
AVI: What are the main drawbacks or challenges when executing an integration in this type of space?
Andrés Núñez: If the architectural concept is integrated with the audiovisual design, it reduces the different problems that can be presented in a project. But if the audiovisual project does not have a clear connection with the architectural design, since the civil work was executed some time ago, it will give opportunity for there to be various inconveniences, among these, the way to communicate the different audiovisual equipment within an environment whose infrastructure does not exist, presenting visible installations in the enclosure in issues of gutters and pipes in general, as well as the demolition of different obstacles in terms of masonry, or the development of new civil structures to support the weight of these equipment.
If the enclosure does not have an appropriate acoustic design, the electroacoustic solution becomes a challenge since it enters to compete with the different problems that the enclosure has in its propagation of sound in a natural way. Another factor that becomes an inconvenience is the current electrical infrastructure, since it mostly must be restructured in order to meet the different requirements.
AVI: While the economic factor is important in any project, how much does the economic issue influence the decision on AV solutions over the technical quality of equipment and systems?
Andrés Núñez: In most projects, the economic factor influences too much, since the money comes from the same faithful who attend the church. In general, the client is offered several proposals, one marked as the ideal, another the intermediate and the other as the most economical option. These proposals mean that the quality varies according to the selection.
One of the most used methods is to present a proposal with basic equipment, which will allow the future to grow and reach the ideal solution. Of course, the success of this is thanks to the design proposed by the integrator, taking into account the projection of the Church, avoiding that they incur over expenses.
AVI: How big is the AV market for temples and houses of worship?
Andrés Núñez: Today the same culture requires having an audiovisual infrastructure present in most of the venues that are intended for the area of preaching, so the market is very high, so much so that the integrators themselves have had to specialize and know more about the protocols, spiritual foundations and doctrinal formation to be able to offer the correct solution.
AVI: Can you tell us about any recent projects you have done in a temple or house of worship?
Andrés Núñez: We have as a success story the Christian Family Center Church, located in the city of Sincelejo, Colombia. Its architectural design was developed under the acoustic parameters destined for a correct emission in the preaching, as well as the different audiovisual solutions, providing comfortable spaces for the installation of the different solutions in this field, seeking to create a pleasant perception from a Psychoacoustic point of view.
The correct sound diffusion was achieved thanks to an electroacoustic design developed to measure, a correct appreciation in the image and video section through the Adoración Visual business group, as well as the execution and control of an artistic lighting, complying with all international standards. The result of this project is the birth of an auditorium, which is not only for the community, but also for the City and the development of other activities.
