WFX Awards » Solomon Awards » Best Green Initiative

Nominee: HH Architects

Project: Worship Center at Christ United Methodist Church

URL: www.hharchitects.com
          www.cumc.com

Size: 801-2000 seats

Date Completed: 2-Jul-05

Description:

For over 14 years, HH Architects has partnered with Christ United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas in the development of a 14 acres “greenfield” site into a campus of approximately 179,100 sf. Through four separate phases HH Architects has developed ministry space ranging from Education & Administrative offices to a Family Life Center to the most recently completed a 1,200 seat Worship Center which received the honor of being the first church in North Texas and the first Methodist church in the state of Texas to receive a LEED Silver certification.

Becoming LEED certified means more than simply recycling trash and using energy-efficient light bulbs. Certification is based on a point system established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute. It rates a building’s performance in five areas: sustainable site design, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

Efficient plumbing in the 56,800-square-foot sanctuary will cut internal water usage by more than 42 percent. Improved insulation coupled with efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems will help cut energy costs up to 20 percent. And with 35 percent of the building’s electricity coming from renewable West Texas wind power, the church will reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with its electrical needs.

Paint and carpeting made of low-odor compounds mean improved indoor air quality. By diverting 85 percent of construction waste from local landfills, the project reduced resources and energy necessary for producing new paper, metal, plastic, glass, concrete and lumber that will be recycled. Use of alternative refrigerants and refrigerant management of the cooling
system will minimize ozone layer depletion, thereby minimizing UV radiation from penetrating our atmosphere. And by using light-reflecting hardscape material and maintaining vegetation around the sanctuary, CUMC will help minimize the heat-island effect.

Through HH Architect’s leadership and direction, CUMC was able to design a facility that served both the church’s ministry needs while not compromising on its desire to create a project that would encourage other faith-based organizations to pursue sustainability with their future construction projects for the betterment of the local community. “This building is not just for our church,” says Rev. Don Underwood, senior pastor. “It’s for those we serve in our growing missions, and it’s for the next generation. CUMC is always focused on building for the future, so we continually think sustainably for our children and our children’s children.”