I am fascinated by the design handiwork of churches, whose buildings impact our lives in several important ways. First, a church building provides a place to worship and connect with God. And secondly, church buildings stand as a symbol within our communities -- of our belief in One greater than ourselves and in a vision of what we hope for in society. In essence, worship facilities touch us inside and out.
And yet, they are just buildings. A means to a spiritual end.
Can we fine-tune a building to better serve that all-important end? The answer is absolutely yes if you talk to a facilities manager, an operations-knowledgeable pastor or other church leader, certainly to a business administrator who has his or her eye on the bottom line, and to a technical director who seeks out technology to help deliver the Message more effectively.
When one thinks of the facility in these terms, then somewhat esoteric architectural design goals become suddenly more interesting and less pie-in-the-sky. Take, for instance, the 2030 Challenge, or the goal to make buildings carbon neutral by the year 2030. The 2030 Challenge, according to www.architecture2030.com, is a sustainability movement that takes a look at buildings as the chief source of demand for energy and materials that produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions -- or gasses that trap heat in the atmosphere, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A look at the EPA's website, www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/index.html, shows that these GHG occur both naturally (carbon dioxide, for example) and as a result of human activity (such as the burning of fossil fuels). So while some of these gasses are natural and acceptable, too great an amount of build up in the atmosphere is reported to have deleterious effects on the healthy balance of our world.
To me, this means that churches with an eye on environmental stewardship will probably be interested in finding ways to control and lessen GHG emissions from their facilities. In the spirit of the 2030 Challenge -- or the goal to ensure that buildings will no longer use fossil fuel GHG-emitting energy to operate -- WFM spoke with D. Brady Smith, American Institute of Architects (AIA) member and LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional). Smith has completed several churches collaborating with JCDM Church Builders of Joplin, Mo., a company that shares his passion for building green churches. While Smith reports that it may be impossible for all buildings to reach the goal by 2030, he says the move in that direction is nonetheless worthy.
"Churches typically operate on very thin budgets, and going green will actually reduce the ongoing operational cost of the building to allow more money for the church's ministry," Smith says. "My clients always ask if a green building will cost more. I show them that any increases in the first cost will be offset by continuing savings year after year."
Watch upcoming issue of WFM, as well as www.worshipfacilities.com, for practical ways that church leaders can help ensure sustainable structures and ongoing savings for ministry. And if you're an architect, builder, engineer, or A/V/L designer, watch future issues of WF DESIGNER (www.wfdesigner.com). Together, we can make a positive difference for God's world.
Blessings,Carol Badaracco Padgett
