Consulting & Design.
At Greenleaf, collaboration is key. Our approach blends advisory expertise with collaboration to ensure clients’ needs and aspirations are met. We are committed to rebuilding, restoring, and integrating organs into architectural spaces,
while preserving cultural heritage and meeting functional requirements.
Dynamic design in progress – a combination of hand- and computer-drawn design.
Building harmony: the role of collaborative consulting and design.
Consulting is a valuable tool that can help to pave the way for a successful project. At Greenleaf, this involves a fully cooperative approach with the client throughout the entire process, with the emphasis on active participation and shared decision-making between all stakeholders. It can variously include the assessment of an existing space in a building and/or an existing organ, or the contemplation of an entirely new organ in a new space, yet to be designed and built.
It's critical that we work closely with clients to understand their needs, preferences, and aspirations for any organ project. Some clients may have a clear idea of what they want and can articulate it effectively, while others may need assistance in defining their goals. In either case, it’s our job to listen carefully, ask the right questions, and draw out the underlying intentions and goals.
Collaborative creativity.
Consulting for the rebuilding of an existing instrument or construction of a new instrument involves a certain amount of creativity, both architecturally and musically, and a multi-step process that typically begins with an on-location visit to assess the space and any existing instrument. Collaboration with the client's design team is essential, especially for projects in new buildings, to ensure the organ's integration into the architectural plans and acoustic considerations. Sometimes, an initial proposal is accepted; other times, several rounds of revision are needed before the 'right' solution is reached. Throughout the entire process, we work in careful partnership with our clients to balance project budgets and timelines with musical and visual goals.
Redesigned casework panels in smoked quarter-sawn white oak for a residence organ.
Preservation and performance.
Consulting for a historic restoration places professional creativity on the back burner, and requires an approach that involves extensive research into the history of the organ and its builders, as well as an understanding of the instrument's cultural significance. A restored historic organ, unless it’s strictly a museum piece and rarely to be played, is a cultural artifact and must be treated with great care, because it must also function as a reliable, working musical instrument. At Greenleaf, we focus on balancing preservation with functionality, and strengthening our good understanding of the Organ Historical Society (OHS) Guidelines for Restoration & Conservation with ongoing awareness best practices in the field.
Harmonizing spaces.
Integrating the organ into the architectural design requires careful consideration of its placement, visual treatment, and acoustics. We present clients with alternatives to review, with 3D imagery often used to visualize the options. Architectural expertise is valuable in ensuring that the organ harmonizes with the space and doesn't overwhelm it visually.
This is not an easy task. Most organs consume a great deal of room, like miniature “buildings” of their own, and are typically strong architectural statements within a space. The form and placement for a given instrument must tightly interface with the physical requirements of the constituent components and systems present in any organ.
From here, it’s an artistic process to determine whether or not the instrument will look as if it truly belongs the space, with materials and detailing that tightly interface with the building.
Ultimately, whether designing new organs or restoring existing instruments, we work in a collaborative partnership with the client, sharing a goal of creating instruments that meet both aesthetic and functional requirements.