This is the newly constructed congregation center on Dodge Avenue in Evanston. They have committed to do the code of Tikkun Olam i.e. repairing the world. Thus they have come up this new construction which was awarded LEED Platinum certificate recently.

The center in Evanston reused the materials from the previous structure; the front doors of the building were fitted with trees displaced during the milling. The windows are properly placed by which the abundant daylight and fresh air is able to fill the building at the same time it cuts the excess heat and glare. The gardens and children’s playground had gabion rubble walls placed at the edges, which is made from the crushed concrete, brick and limestone from local demolition sites.

The rain water harvesting helps them to save the valuable resource, which will be again reused after filtering process. The storm detention garden saves almost 41% of water use comparable to structure’s use. The various parts of the building uses reclaimed Cypress slats that were used in ceilings and linings. They provide a warm look and act as an acoustics barrier. The HVAC displacement system in prayer hall and other public gathering areas are covered neatly with the reclaimed slats.

The raised podium and step in the sanctuary are using the reclaimed dark walnut from fallen or diseased trees from the Chicago Park District. The entire flooring of the building is concrete that has polished, thus saving money required for new flooring. Cabinets and entire wood work throughout the building are made of pressed sunflower seeds, a rapidly renewable wood like source. The low flow toilets and energy efficient appliances are used to conserve water and energy.

The building has two HVAC systems, one of which is in sanctuary and is the displacement system. This system releases the heat from the bottom rather than from top. By this more energy is saved, because it does not require much electricity to pump heat into the room and it is also less noisy that the traditional HVAC system. This system is only placed in the biggest room, which has the highest visitor traffic. The energy saving payback for this system is five to seven years, which is a rapid progress in the area of heating and ventilation.

The second HVAC is also energy efficient which has a programmable weekly calendar and allows the system to heat rooms and hallways in proper schedules. The schedules were prepared after week long analysis on building’s energy usage by the congregation and architectural team. This schedule decides when and which rooms to be cooled or heated. The building is properly insulated so that even when it is not receiving heating or cooling the temperature is maintained perfectly. The building has only one solar panel installed, due to budget issues, which power’s the building’s Eternal Lights.
Combination of sustainable and eco-friendly products used for the building has not only won LEED Platinum but also been awarded one of the Top Ten Green Projects of 2009 by AIA(American institute of Architects).

Source: AIA Top Ten Projects, greenbeanchicago.com, jetsongreen.com