Early Contractor Involvement in a Mandaean Place of Worship ^†

Abstract

Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) can offer significant benefits for construction projects. However, ECI is scarcely discussed in relation to place-of-worship projects, particularly those of minority communities. The Mandaeans are an ethnoreligious group that follow Mandaeism, a monotheistic religion. This article aims to discuss the necessity of a collaborative approach for their place of worship (Mandi). The literature will be reviewed on ECI, brief liturgical requirements in Mandaeism, and lastly barriers that minority communities face in the construction of their places of worship. The research methodology will be focused on a case study of Mandi Wallacia which will provide insights into the issues faced in the past. From this, it is seen that there are multiple issues that occur in place-of-worship construction for minority communities. It is evident that through this research, ECI and the relation of function and form must be harmonious to achieve the successful construction of places of worship.

1. Introduction

Mandaeans are a closed ethnoreligious group [1] who follow Mandaeism, a monotheistic religion. The Mandaeans are a minority community, and their estimated population worldwide is approximately 70,000–100,000, with 15,000–20,000 currently residing in Australia. Their place of worship is called BaythManda, meaning House of Knowledge. Colloquially, the term Mandi is used for the Mandaean place of worship. One of the most crucial elements in Mandaeism is the use of fresh flowing river water for their rituals and ceremonies [2]. The most common rituals conducted in this water include Tamasha, Rishama, Masvetta, Masiqta and Lofani. These rituals will be investigated in depth in Section 2 of this paper on liturgical requirements.

The Mandaeans started migrating to Australia in the 1980s [3] and started to use the Nepean and Georges River to perform their ceremonies. Figure 1 shows a staircase that was erected in Penrith City Council to allow the Mandaeans to access the river to perform their rituals. With the growth of the community, private land was purchased by the Mandaean community to construct a place-of-worship site. This site would allow the Mandaeans to perform their rituals and ceremonies in a private area. It is apparent that an understanding of the constructability of a Mandi is needed to ensure that all current policies, legislation and standards are met.

Due to the fact that riverbanks and the river are commonly used by Mandaeans to perform ceremonies, no formal structures to accommodate the rituals have been identified. Additionally, there is no formal process for the design and construction of a Mandi. This has led to various issues in the planning, construction, design and functionality of these places. Furthermore, due to the lack of a technical solution for the design and engineering of the Mandi, there is often a lack of an appropriate place from the designers and engineers as the requirements are not fully understood. Early Contractor Involvement has been mentioned since the late 1990s as a contracting method to enlist advice in terms of buildability in the early stages of project development [5], which provides a wide array of benefits to the project. It would be beneficial to look at the benefits that Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) would have on the construction of these places. This would ensure that the place of worship would comply with modern construction standards and meet budgets, and the premises would be fully functional. To commence the process of ECI, an understanding of the liturgical requirements in Mandaeism need to be understood. This will allow the contractor to understand the construction risks associated with the site (flooding, etc.) and offer construction solutions to mitigate risk and costs. This also ties in with the relationship between function and form in architecture. Concurrently, minority communities often face challenges whilst constructing their places of worship; these challenges mainly include social resistance and budget constraints.

This research explores the liturgical requirements in the construction of places of worship, challenges faced by minority communities, and the benefits of Early Contractor Involvement (ECI). The specific objectives are to understand the liturgical requirements in Mandaeism and associated structures. This will allow a contractor to understand the needs of the community and provide advice from a construction perspective on the development. It would also allow for a collaborative approach with the architects. Following this, a discussion of barriers that minority communities face from a planning perspective will be discussed. Issues that have been faced can be analysed to ensure that the same problems do not occur again. The whole construction process from inception to project completion for a Mandi can be benefited by having a contractor involved early on to advise of any issues. The research methodology will be conducted via a case study of Mandi Wallacia located at 60 Bents Basin Road, Wallacia, NSW, 2745. A project analysis of the project will help identify any of the key issues faced with the place of worship and the mitigation principles that can be adopted in the future. This article is a preliminary look at the benefits that ECI will have on place-of-worship construction, especially for minority communities.

2. Literature Review

Early Contractor Involvement is a construction contracting method where a builder becomes involved in a project prior to the completion of the design [6]. This allows for a magnitude of benefits that can considerably decrease the risk associated with costs, timeline and construction methods [6]. Place-of-worship construction can sometimes be very complex in terms of the liturgical requirements of the structure and the design works. By having a contractor involved prior to the completion of the design, they can provide detailed insights into the functionality of the place of worship. Place-of-worship architecture falls under the sub-category of Sacral Architecture. Sacral Architecture has a distinct relationship between form and function, as seen in [7]. To assist with this relationship, it is important to get all stakeholders to advise on the building of the place of worship. This relationship would involve the clergy of the associated faith, contractors, the design team and engineers. The role of Early Contractor Involvement should in turn reduce the overall risk associated with the construction of places of worship. It is evident that for other construction sectors, a lot of information is detailed about the function of the place. This is expressed in the detailed requirements for the healthcare sector, hospitality sector and disability access to name a few. The requirements for place-of-worship construction, particularly the Mandi construction, are not clearly expressed yet.

2.1. Liturgical Requirements in Mandaeism

The most essential element to practice Mandaeism is the use of fresh flowing river water [8]. It is by using this water that the main Mandaeism rituals Masvetta, Tamasha, Rishama, Masiqta, Qodmashi and Lofani are performed.

The most prominent ritual in Mandaeism is that of Masvetta [9], a triple immersion ceremony in fresh flowing river water conducted by the clergy. This ceremony usually takes several hours to complete from start to finish and has various elements that must occur in the practice. Tamasha is a triple immersion in water that serves as an ablution practice in Mandaeism. Tamasha does not require a clergy to perform the ritual. Another ablution practice is Rishama, where various parts of the body are cleansed with river water whilst certain prayers are recited.

There are also several rituals that are performed for people who have passed [10]. The longest ceremony is that of Masiqta which takes several days to complete. There is also the ritual of Qodmashi which is performed only during the religious days of Parwanaiia (a religious ceremony that falls in March time of the Gregorian Calendar). Lastly, the ritual of Lofani/Dokhrani is a ritual meal to remember the souls that have passed.

There are also some structures in Mandaeism that need to be constructed; these include the Eskhentha (Clay House) and an Andarona (Bamboo Hut used for weddings). The Eskhentha is an essential element that is used for several ceremonies in Mandaeism. Figure 2 shows a concept render of an Eskhentha; there are also some requirements for the stonework around the Eshkhenta. This construction is heavily documented from a liturgical perspective only. The main ritual document that contains the construction of the Andarona is the Qulasta (Qulasta—book of marriage rites and guidelines), and for the Eskhentha, it is described in many scrolls. E.S. Drower’s book The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran details the viewpoints she has witnessed during the construction of an Eskhentha in Chapter 8, titled “The Manda or Cult-Hut, known as Mandi” [11].

The Eskhentha was often entirely made of clay and would wash away during floods. In modern times, it is possible to have the building only clad in clay. This would reduce the risk of building the structure again. In addition to these elements, there are several items which cannot be purified according to Mandaeism practices such as plastics.

2.2. Barriers for Minority Communities in Australia

It is generally understood that minority communities in the diaspora face significant challenges [12]. One of the other minority groups that live in diaspora around Australia are the Sikhs. During the 1960s and 1970s, there was a lot of misconception surrounding the Sikhs and their associated place of worship, Gurdwara. This misconception has a magnitude of effects on the building of their place of worship and associated architecture. This was evident with one of the first places of worship the Sikhs built in Sydney. The Gurdwara tried to fit in at the first stage by having a place of worship that looked like the style around the locality and by having chairs instead of the standard floor seating as is custom in India [13]. It is evident that minority communities try to fit into such areas to ensure that there is minimal community opposition with their developments.

Change or seeing something new often causes a subconscious fear about the change [14]. This is further aggravated by the misunderstanding of the new people. From a town planning aspect, the change of seeing a minority community come into their locality is often a discussion of opposition and can hinder the process of receiving approvals. There is also a lot of false information provided in the developments of places of worship as evident with the Lakemba Mosque, the construction of which a councillor opposed due to a TV broadcast stating that there would be a loudspeaker on the bell towner [14]. In fact, the proposed development made no provision for any loudspeaker. This is further emphasised by the argument that the development is not consistent with the theme of the locality. It is important to be transparent about the development to the locality when the Public Notification Period is held to mitigate any opposition. In the approval pathway, rather than appealing the decision straight away, it is important to see if mediation and clarifying concerns of the people can occur.

Planning issues are further seen with the development of Mandi Wallacia and the misconception about the rituals that would take place. In the italic text and quotation marks below is an extract of the rituals that would be performed at Mandi Wallacia. It is noted that it only accounts for Masvetta and the term Baptism were incorrectly used for the ritual. It also does not mention any other rituals in Mandaeism, which means the facility is not fully functional. Alongside this, there was some community opposition for the development, with an article [15] stating ‘Don’t want you here’ to the Wallacia community. This opposition is further seen in the Land and Environmental Court Decision, where a neighbour of the location appealed to the court’s decision regarding the restrooms at the location and how they were not ancillary to use [16]. It is apparent that if a minority community wishes to develop their place of worship, they must first gain the community’s support and furthermore be open for discussion to any misconceptions about the associated faith.

“Proposed Use

Baptism is the principal ceremony of the Mandaean religion. A Mandaean Baptism can only be conducted in a freshwater river. Baptism is performed to purify the person being baptised and bring the person closer to God. A Mandaean may undergo baptism a number of times.

A Mandaean baptism ceremony is not dissimilar to a Christian church service. The prayers are read in a low voice at a great speed. The prayers are in Mandaean Aramaic, which few lay people understand. The prayers are not intended to edify a congregation. A few yards away from the priest the prayers are inaudible. There is no amplification and no singing. At certain points the person being baptized repeats certain words after the priest. This is done in a normal speaking voice.

The ceremony takes approximately one to four hours, depending on the occasion and the number of persons to be baptised.

Bridal couples are baptised as part of the Mandaean wedding ceremony. A wedding ceremony takes a maximum of three hours with an extra hour for any additional weddings.”

Extract of proposed use at 60 Bents Basin Road, Wallacia [17].

3. Research Methodology

The methodology for this journal article will be a case study which will provide detailed insights on the Mandi Wallacia project. The case study is adopted for investigation of real-life problems [18] which is a distinct tool for project analysis. Case studies provide key information and can act as a method to gain an in-depth understanding of challenges that have been faced in the industry. The research methodology employs a single case study, primarily because of the limited availability of fully constructed Mandi in the local area. As described above, most of the Mandaeans use the river to perform rituals rather than construct a private place of worship. There are some Mandis located overseas in regions such as Iran and Iraq currently, but access to these places is difficult. This is the reason that Mandi Wallacia was selected for this paper. There are some limitations with using a single case study as it provides limited results for data analysis and comparison between cases. It is possible in the future to use the construction of places of worship of minority communities to correlate the data with, rather than that of just one faith.

The data were mainly acquired via observations and unstructured interviews with the clergy. There were approximately ten interviews conducted with clergy regarding Mandi Wallacia; their ranks are from first level of clergyhood to the highest rank. Typical questions asked include the following: How often is the place used? Is the space well suited to your liturgical requirements? What would you like to see done differently in the future? These findings were interpreted by identifying similar themes that the clergy have faced and similar changes they would like to see in the future.

To assess the Mandi construction, a scale system from 1 to 5 (1 being the least successful and 5 being the most successful) will be utilised to assess the development. This is a commonly understood system and can easily be used in practice. If a system failed absolutely, it would be rated 1, and if it worked without any difficulty, it would be rated 5. This was further validated by the responses in the unstructured interviews.

The elements that will be measured on Bemandan will be discussed below; each item has some metrics on how it was scored:

• Planning Success:

  ○

  If the project went through a Development Application (DA) pathway or State Significant Development pathway, it would be rated a 5, as this has the least number of risks in receiving approval.

  ○

  If the project went through a Land and Environmental Court Decision, it would receive a rating of 3, as this has some minor hurdles to receive approval.

  ○

  If the project did not receive any approval, it would be rated a 1.

• Architectural Success (both liturgically and in terms of relationship to symbolism in Mandaeism):

  ○

  If all items and places designed for a Mandi were allowed for, it would receive a 5, as this would be suitable for the community to use.

  ○

  If a place was designed for some of the rituals to be conducted, it would receive a 3.

  ○

  If the place was designed without accounting for any Mandaean rituals, it would receive a 1.

• Constructability:

  ○

  If the place was constructed appropriately for flood zones and defect-free, it would receive a 5.

  ○

  If the place has some minor issues/defects, it would be a 3 as it could be slightly improved.

  ○

  If the place was constructed without accordance to appropriate standards and had a large sum of defects, it would be scored a 1.

4. Discussion

After the thorough investigation of the literature on the topic, it is time to investigate the barriers that have been faced by the Mandaean community to construct their place of worship, which uses a river, from a qualitative perspective. The first item that will be identified are the planning issues, then the design issues, and finally the construction issues.

4.1. Planning Issues

Currently, in NSW the planning of any projects usually falls under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act [14]. This is further elaborated with the State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPP), Regional Environmental Plans (REP), Local Environmental Plans (LEP) and Development Control Plans (DCP). The original proposal for the Mandi lacked a clear direction and understanding of the minority-people rituals. The original DA was rejected by the council on the basis of a lack of documentation and community opposition. Then, the Mandaean community decided to appeal this decision to the Land and Environmental Court, which allowed the Mandi to be built, subject to certain documents being provided, and certain requirements on the site were met.

It is apparent that more streamlined approach could have been utilised by the Mandaean community to attain approvals, and further supplementary documentation could have assisted in mitigating the effects of community opposition. Nonetheless, the project was approved; hence, the ranking it will receive is a 2.5/5, just being slightly under neutral, as further processes could have been utilised to make the project more successful from the planning stages.

4.2. Design/Architectural Issues

The next item that was outlined is the architectural style and the design of the Mandi. The architectural style was not defined, nor were the liturgical requirements of the community understood clearly. It was expressed that the community required river water; however, minimal discussion was conducted on the rituals that would take place, the performance of the rituals and space required to perform the ceremonies. This aligns with the discussion of the relationship between form and function in architecture.

To design this, a large pond (representing the circle of life in Mandaeism) was designed for the fresh flowing river water to flow through, and grandstand seating was built. It was originally thought that the grandstand was going to be utilised for the people undergoing the ritual Masvetta. However, it was only after the construction was finished that they found out the steps could not work as they did not face a northernly direction, which people must face during ceremonies. This has created a magnitude of issues to this day. Currently, the concrete slab area adjacent to the pond is used rather than the grandstand seating. However, the layout is awkward and can become quite crowded when several clergies are performing ceremonies for people. Figure 3 shows the grandstand seating and adjacent concrete area. There is also no understanding of the capacity for people who undergo the ceremonies; i.e., a certain number of people can perform the rituals at any one time. It is also interesting to see that no fully covered area was created to protect the people from the weather whilst they practice their rituals.

Regarding the second item in this stage, there was no allowance to construct an Eskhentha on the site, which is required for certain ceremonies. Alongside this, the use of such a large vessel for the water (pond) is not needed as only two clergy can use the water at one time. It would make more sense now, after completing the first stage of the project, to have a smaller vessel of water for each clergy to use rather than a large one for all. It also takes several hours to fill the large pool, which can be an inconvenience. Creating access for people with disabilities is another discussion point that can be analysed in the developments of Mandis. It is also evident in the design that the need for an area to perform Rishama is not clearly evident in the layout.

On a positive note, there is an allowance for the water to filter through the large channel down to the bottom pond through various rocks being used. There is also some symbolism with the faith as seen with the pond being circular, which represents the circle of life.

Based on the above information gathered, it is evident from the architectural perspective that more information could have been drafted prior to construction to ensure the suitable functionality of the facilities. As such, due to the large room for improvements and the further connection to the religion, a score of 2/5 has been provided for this section.

4.3. Construction

Lastly, the major construction issue that plagues the site are floods that occur and the deterioration of riverbanks. This aspect was not outlined as part of the project and there are serious concerns on restoring the riverbank at present.

There is also a wide array of construction issues that are currently being faced. This includes the safety barricading around the pond area and the grandstand construction on flood sites. Barricading around the pond is difficult to achieve as, during the ceremonies, each person must access the water to purify/cleanse their arms. It is a focal point of future discussion on how to increase the safety around pond places in the future, possibly by raising the pool height rather than having it in the ground, etc. These discussions need to occur prior to the completion of the design to ensure the safe use of the premises by all participants.

The grandstand seating area construction could also be further improved in the future by creating a retaining wall behind the top step to ensure that soil runoff does not occur in the event of floods/heavy rainfall behind the top set of stairs.

The depth of the pool also needs to be discussed, alongside why the chosen depth was outlined. In the future, the depth of the pool can be discussed in several categories, including one for the children who are shorter, one for adults which is a bit deeper, and then potentially an area to allow for ease for disabled people.

In terms of the Eskhentha construction, it was only recently that a timber structure could be erected that complies with the relevant standards (both religious and construction) prior to the cladding of the Eshkhenta. This ensures that the safety of people using the Eskhentha is paramount, compared to the risk of making the building entirely out of clay.

There is also the cost factor in the overall use of the facilities that needs to be identified; currently, at Mandi Wallacia, the water is pumped to fill the pool, which can be expensive and a time-consuming process. It is also not practical in certain aspects for performing Masvetta for a smaller amount of people. Water pumping and flowing techniques need to be analysed in depth for this reason to ensure that the maintenance cost of the facility is kept at a minimum.

Overall, the construction of the facilities is a major success from the Mandaean perspective; however, in terms of constructability, there are further investigations that need to be conducted. This will ensure the safety and ease of use of the premises. As such, this area has a score of 3/5 as there are a lot of items that could be utilised to benefit the facility.

The awareness of the Mandaean community in the Wollondilly Council Area could also be a point of discussion. This could further allow for more transparent arrangements when discussing places of worship of minority communities in local areas. This item can be replicated at a local, state, and international level.

Mandi Wallacia is the first Mandaean place of worship built in Australia using river water, and is owned by the Mandaean community. This is a large feat in itself. In the first instance, the Mandaean community required a place to use for their rituals without using the riverbanks in public places. This outcome was successfully achieved by the building of this site. It was only after the finalisation of the project and the feedback of the clergy and Mandaean community that the above issues can be clearly identified from a construction perspective.

It is apparent that a more collaborative approach by having the clergy, community, contractors and engineers involved can reduce the amount of risk in the project. This is further evident with the amount of risk reduced by having ECI in any project. Overall, by cross-referencing each category from planning, design and construction, we can see that the project was neutral in terms of success. There is a lot of room for growth that could ensure that the buildability of these places is further enhanced.

5. Conclusions

The main barriers that the Mandaean community have faced in Australia is due to the following reasons: poor planning, community opposition and not spreading awareness about the minority community. This research aims to identify the benefits of having a collaborative approach with all stakeholders in place-of-worship construction for minority communities to mitigate risks. This is also achieved through ECI of builders who have experience in place-of-worship construction and riverbank stabilisation works. The literature was evaluated in three stages: Early Contractor Involvement benefits, understanding the liturgical requirements of the people and the influence of this in the design, and, in the last instance, the barriers that minority communities face in approval processes. The methodology behind this study was to use a case study of Mandi Wallacia; this provided insight on the issues that were faced and, in lieu, the positive outcomes that were achieved. For future study, the relation of function and form of other minority communities’ places of worship could be discussed. The Mandaean community have had a wide array of barriers with having their own place of worship built, as evident with Mandi Wallacia; however, the community overcame all these challenges and managed to create their first place of worship in Australia utilising river water. From the data presented above, the key issues that plague the Mandaean community in constructing their place of worship are the planning issues, design issues and construction issues. This may also tie into the budget constraints outlined in Section 1 that many minority communities face. This article provides some generalised insights on the issues minority communities face and can be broadly implemented by construction professionals. It can assist minority communities to understand the issues that they face and potential ways to rectify the issues.

Some recommendations from this article are that minority communities should prioritise establishing a rapport with local areas prior to commencing a new project. This familiarisation will assist greatly in successful projects being delivered and enlisting appropriate professionals to design in accordance with the liturgical requirements of the faith. Furthermore, some guidelines that minority communities should follow are firstly establishing a rapport with the local area they wish to construct their place of worship, hiring professionals that can design in accordance with their liturgical requirements and lastly hiring a builder that can ensure the project is built defect-free and within budget. Overall, these guidelines will provide cost savings for the minority communities.

It is apparent that minority communities try their best to fit into the locations to which they migrate, which is evident by creating buildings that fit in with the localities. Alongside this, it is apparent that ECI contracting would be hugely beneficial to minority communities as it would mitigate a lot of the issues that they face.