JRC Synagogue Makes Top 10 in LEED Green Power

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has awarded the newly built synagogue of the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation (JRC) of Evanston, IL, with a place in its prestigious Top-10 Green Buildings of 2009 award.

The 31,600 sq. foot building is situated in an urban, residential area, with proximation to a public park, community center, and tracks of the Skokie Swift commuter train, where zoning ordinances meant that the building size had to be limited.

The synagogue employed key environmental features such as:

• land use and site selection
• stormwater management
• the purchase of green power to offset its electricity use
• daylighting, views and natural ventilation
• the usage of over 40% of regionally manufactured materials

Material usage was such that "the synagogue is a wooden box clad with reclaimed cypress, with spectrally selective, low-emissivity glazing. Gabion walls filled with waste masonry are used at the perimeter of the site . Reclaimed cypress was also used indoors in the worship spaces. Polished concrete floors were used in most spaces, eliminating the need for floor coverings. Paints and finishes with low levels of volatile organic compounds were used throughout."

The Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation achieved LEED-NC 2.1 at the Platinum level, thanks to the dedication of the owners and design team, which was fundamentally based on their commitment to the principle of tikkun olam - which is Hebrew for "repairing the world."

If you would like to learn more about green building, or how renewable energy can apply to your LEED project, please visit our LEED Green Power page.

PERSONALLY SPEAKING
There's no doubt this project is testament to the powers of green building! And its all thanks to a dedication to repairing the world from the building's very inception, through to its design, and finally in its construction and completion. You have to appreciate the low-impact, natural feel of this building, which truly makes it more connected to the physical and spiritual alike. ~Matt

Matt Kiszka is a Green Building Project Manager for Renewable Choice Energy