Green Synagogue – First In The US

The Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston Illinois plans to become the first LEED certified ‘green’ synagogue in the US. The new temple will cost $6.5 million and will adhere to the U.S. Green Building Council’s strict “Gold Status” standards. Construction should be complete by the end of 2007.

Here’s a blurb from the article in the Chicago Tribune:

Saposnik said the new synagogue will feature energy-efficient boilers, heavy insulation, fluorescent lights inside the synagogue and solar ones in the parking lot–all designed to reduce energy consumption by about a third from the usual standards.

Sensors will automatically shut off lights if they detect no movement in a room. Large windows will maximize natural light, and a white roof will deflect sunlight to reduce dependency on air conditioning in the summer, Saposnik said.

The landscaping won’t require permanent irrigation, and about 80 percent of the building material will come from recycled sources, including old bricks from the demolished synagogue. Architects plan to use reclaimed cypress wood to build the facade.

Its great to see this kind of responsible action taken in the religious community. Hopefully other congregations will soon follow their leed (haha – get it? ‘LEED’?)! I’m hilarious!

Here is the original article in the Tribune: Temple plans eco-friendly makeover

Technorati Tags: leed, green building, green contruction, congregation, church, temple, synagogue, sustainability

Written by Bentley on October 29th, 2006 with 6 comments.
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