Tag Archives: D7

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Beauty in a World of Ugliness

History of Western Civilization Told Through the Acoustics of its Worship Spaces

 

Abstract.  Insights into the history and future of western civilization are found by applying information theory to the acoustical communication channel (ACC) of its worship spaces. Properties of the ACC have both influenced and reflected the choice of message coding (e.g., speech or music) at various times. Speech coding is efficient for acoustically dry ACCs, but hopeless for highly time-dispersive ACCs. Music coding is appropriate for time dispersive (reverberant) ACCs. The ACCs of synagogues, early Christian house churches, and many Protestant churches are relatively acoustically “dry” and thus well suited to spoken liturgies.

The spoken liturgy, dominant in synagogues, was carried over to early Christian churches, but became unworkable in Constantinian cathedrals and was largely replaced with a musical liturgy. After a millennium, the cathedral acoustic was altered to suit the doctrinal needs of reformation churches with its renewed emphasis on the spoken word. Worship forms continue to change, and the changes are reflected in the properties of the ACC. The pulpits of electronic churches may be evolving into radio and television performance spaces and naves into worshipers’ living rooms.

CLICK IMAGE

Evensong “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?”

Sacred Spaces

National Youth Choir of Scotland “Love Divine”

International Building Code § 303.4: Places of Religious Worship

Occupancy classification is a first principle in all International Code Council consensus products.   Chapels and churches associated with educational institutions are grouped with all other “Places of Religious Worship” in Section 303.4 Assembly Group A-3.  You may find the text of this section in the current 2024 edition in the link below:

2024 International Building Code | Section 303 | Assembly Group A

For the next few weeks we will sort through issues appearing in the transcript below:

2025 Group B Committee Action Agenda (2630 Pages)

Recent incidents in the tragic city of Minneapolis inspire revisiting the standards of care listed below:

Targeted Violence and Active Shooters: Incidents like mass shootings have increased, with 54% of attacks on U.S. houses of worship involving armed assaults, often motivated by religious or racial hatred (67% of cases). Comprehensive emergency plans and training are critical.

Vandalism and Arson: These are common, with over 400 attacks on U.S. churches since 2020, including property damage and desecration. Surveillance cameras and regular security audits can deter such acts.

Theft: Donation boxes, religious artifacts, and personal belongings are frequent targets. Access control and monitoring valuables reduce risks.

Cybersecurity Threats: Houses of worship are vulnerable to hacking, ransomware, and data breaches, especially as they rely on digital platforms. Implementing cybersecurity best practices is essential.

Internal Threats: Risks from disgruntled employees or volunteers, including theft or fraud, necessitate thorough background checks and clear protocols for handling sensitive information.

Proactive measures like risk assessments, security teams, and collaboration with law enforcement can mitigate these threats while maintaining a welcoming environment


Related:

Why is the State of Minnesota such a hot mess?

 

Animal Safety

“One of the Family” 1880 | Frederick George Cotman

NFPA 150 Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities Code has entered its s025 revision cycle.   Many education communities are responsible for animal safety in academic units, research enterprises. museums and even — as in the United Kingdom — large farm animals that wander freely on campus with students, faculty and staff.  The number of colleges and universities that permit students to live with their pets has expanded; and with it the responsibilities of university administration.

From the document scope:

This standard shall provide the minimum requirements for the design, construction, fire protection, and classification of animal housing facilities.  The requirements of NFPA 150 recognize the following fundamental principles:

(1) Animals are sentient beings with a value greater than that of simple property.

(2) Animals, both domesticated and feral, lack the ability of self-preservation when housed in buildings and other structures.

(3) Current building, fire, and life safety codes do not address the life safety of the animal occupants. The requirements found in NFPA 150 are written with the intention that animal housing facilities will continue to be designed, constructed, and maintained in accordance with the applicable building, fire, and life safety codes.

The requirements herein are not intended to replace or rewrite the basic requirements for the human occupants. Instead, NFPA 150 provides additional minimum requirements for the protection of the animal occupants and the human occupants who interact with those animals in these facilities. 

 

A full description of the project is linked below:

Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities Code

Access to the 2025 Edition is linked below:

FREE ACCESS NFPA 150

We provide the transcript of the back-and-forth on the current 2022 edition to inform how education communities can contribute to the improvement of this title; a subject that stirs deep feelings about animal safety in research enterprises.

NFPA 150 First Draft Agenda

NFPA 150 Second Draft Report

Public comment on the Second Draft of the 2025 Edition will be received until March 27, 2024.   

We have been advocating risk-informed animal safety concepts in this document since the 2013 Edition and have found that it is nearly impossible to overestimate the sensitivity of educational communities to the life safety of animals — either for agriculture or medical research.

We maintain the entire NFPA catalog on the standing agenda of our Prometheus colloquia.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

"i thank You God for most this amazing day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes" -- e.e.cummings ('Seventy-One Poems' 1950)

 

Issue: [11-1] and [19-5]

Category: Fire Protection, Facility Asset Management, Academic, Risk Management

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Josh Elvove, Joe DeRosier

More:

Protecting Animals When Disaster Strikes

Animals 300


 


Bibliography:

25 Most Pet-Friendly Colleges

National Institute of Health: Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

International Building Code: Section 304 (Business Group B): Animal hospitals, kennels and pounds

Terrestrial Animal Health Code

IEEE Guide for Animal Deterrents for Electric Power Supply Substations

ASHRAE Animal Facilities

IEEE Livestock Monitoring System

Ventilation Design Handbook on Animal Research Facilities

HVAC Design in Animal Facilities

USDA Animal Welfare Information Center

ISO Assistance Dogs

US Department of Agriculture: Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations

S. 4288: Reducing Animal Testing Act

Guaranteeing safety of animals under risk of fire: conceptual framework and technical issues analysis

Protecting Animals When Disaster Strikes

 

Dogs and Agriculture

Dogs have been bred for a variety of purposes throughout history, including as working animals to support agriculture. Dogs have been bred for specific traits that make them well-suited to work on farms, such as intelligence, obedience, strength, and endurance*.

History and ArchitectureUniversity of Oxford Estates Services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* Here are a few examples of how dogs were bred to support agriculture:

Herding dogs: Dogs such as the Border Collie, Australian Cattle Dog, and German Shepherd were bred to help farmers manage livestock by herding them from one place to another. These dogs have a natural instinct to gather and control herds of animals, and they can be trained to respond to a farmer’s commands.

Hunting dogs: Many breeds of dogs, such as the Labrador Retriever, were originally bred as hunting dogs to assist farmers with hunting game for food. These dogs have a keen sense of smell and are skilled at tracking and retrieving prey.

Guard dogs: Certain breeds of dogs, such as the Great Pyrenees, were bred to protect livestock from predators such as wolves and bears. These dogs are fiercely protective of their flock and will guard them from any perceived threat.

Draft dogs: Some large breeds of dogs, such as the Bernese Mountain Dog and the Saint Bernard, were bred to pull carts and wagons on farms. These dogs are strong and muscular and can move heavy loads across long distances.

Overall, dogs have been bred for centuries to support agriculture in a variety of ways. Their intelligence, loyalty, and hardworking nature have made them invaluable assets to farmers and have helped to shape the course of human history.

Evensong “Simple Gifts”

Standards Maryland

University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra: “Appalachian Spring” Aaron Copland, 1944


 

Standards Maryland

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