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Green Synagogue | |
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Multi-Elephant Housing by Foster | |
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Modern Prefab by Marmol Radziner | |
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Colin St. John Wilson - Two Houses | |
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Tokyo Swatch by Shigeru Ban | |
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Green Synagogue The structure replaces an older facility of 21,000 square feet (2,000 square meters) that once stood on the same tight site. The congregation had hoped to build a new building twice that size — a goal that would not only have taxed the budget, but also compromised the goal of sustainability. Zoning restrictions also limited the height and lot coverage. The congregation learned the first lesson of green architecture: with careful planning, you can probably get by with less — thereby saving natural resources, conserving embodied energy in materials and construction, and reducing the amount of ongoing maintenance that is required over the building's lifespan. Ross Barney Architects analyzed the program: the spaces requested, how they would be used, and when they would be used. By developing a design that would maximize shared spaces through flexibility, it was possible to shrink the program by 10,400 square feet (970 square meters) — a nearly 25 percent reduction. The resulting 31,600-square-foot (2,900-square-meter) building still accommodates all of the desired uses. With moveable walls, the third-floor sanctuary and social hall can be combined on those occasions when more worship space is required, such as on high holy days. Next to the reception room, the top landing of the dramatic open staircase can serve as overflow space for larger gatherings. The project required a slight height variance to construct the building as designed, which maximizes the site potential. Inside, most of the spaces receive generous natural light, which many denominations have traditionally viewed as a symbol of God's immanence in houses of worship. The first floor has a generous reception lobby devoted to a day chapel, administrative offices, and classroom spaces. More offices, classrooms, and a library are found on the second floor. Climbing the open staircase to the third floor, one is welcomed by a reception hall that leads to the sanctuary, dominated by a sweeping view of trees; unlike many sanctuaries, this one brings the worshippers into close contact with nature. The sanctuary is distinguished by a natural wood interior, echoing the horizontal wood siding of the exterior. Recycling a Temple The design called for the new synagogue to be built on the same footprint as the old structure. What to do with the original building? The architects proposed that all of the concrete and masonry of the older building be recycled as walls for the new building. In the end, a less ambitious strategy was adopted: to use the crushed masonry to fill in the old basement, which the architects elected not to reuse due to its low ceiling height and limited access. The basement was then capped with a new slab of concrete with high fly-ash content. The existing foundation was used as the foundation for the new building. Leftover masonry materials were then used as filler in gabion walls, which define some of the outdoor spaces around the new synagogue. Between the basement infill and the new site walls, the architects estimate that 95 percent of the former synagogue's masonry was used in the new project. The heavily planted site is irrigated with water from a stormwater detention system, which also eases the burden on the municipal drainage system, even on this small site. Warmth of Recycled Wood The new synagogue makes inventive use of recycled woods. The building's exterior is wrapped in cypress siding reclaimed from old agricultural buildings; the same wood was used for the slat walls in the sanctuary and chapel. The exterior horizontal siding helps to bring the scale of the building down, and tempers its institutional character. One can readily see the marks left by the material's former use in mushroom barns, which gives the wood added depth. The new two-story-tall ceremonial front doors incorporate materials from the site itself. A grove of memorial maple trees was removed for construction — a sacrifice that many religious groups make when expanding their facilities. In this case, using wood from the trees was a sustainable choice that also allowed the erstwhile memorial plantings to remain part of the congregation's physical environment. Storm-toppled black walnut trees from a nearby park were made into the sanctuary's bimah, a raised platform from which the Torah is read. Other building materials were selected because they were available within a 500-mile (800-kilometer) radius of the site, reducing the energy needed to transport them. Full of Light Daylighting and sensitively designed mechanical ventilation systems are among the other strategies that contributed to the Platinum rating. The building is planned so that nearly all of the spaces (90 percent) receive natural light. Core spaces, farthest from the perimeter windows, are devoted to restrooms, storage, and other uses with lower lighting requirements. >>> Discuss this article in the Architecture Forum...
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