Bulley & Andrews

Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation Celebrates One Year Anniversary of New Synagogue

Evanston, Ill. (February 16, 2009) – The Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston, Ill recently celebrated the one year anniversary of its new synagogue.  The 31,000 square foot facility is the first house of worship in the world to receive LEED Platinum certification. 

The congregation was awarded the LEED certification at the Platinum Level by the US Green Building Council in the fall of 2008.  “We had been working toward it for three years,” said Alan Saposnik, past president of the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation’s board of directors.  “It was a monumental achievement that took a lot of effort.”  At the time when the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation (JRC) was awarded platinum, only 100 other buildings had achieved platinum certification.

Designed by Ross Barney Architects and built by general contractor, Bulley & Andrews, LLC, the building includes sustainable components such as recycled materials, wood from certified sustainable forests and employs strategies such as light harvesting and water conservation.  

“We worked really hard to bring in a lot of natural light,” said Saposnik.  “The worship space has created a wow effect.  Congregants see how beautifully lit it is and we have received a great response.”  Other LEED elements congregants took note of instantaneously were the dual flush toilets and motion sensors in the rooms to turn on and off the lights.  Additionally, JRC is not heating and cooling the entire building, so congregants and staff members have acknowledged and appreciated that they need to plan ahead when using a room.

Since its opening, JRC has received numerous calls from other congregations and houses of worship, even as far as Australia, inquiring about the new synagogue and its green practices.  “Because a lot of people can’t afford to build a new building, they want to know how they can live a more energy efficient, environmentally conscious way of life,” said Saposnik.  “They want to look at changing what they do day in and day out to create savings without having to build from scratch.”    

The JRC project proved to be an excellent experience for the general contractor, Bulley & Andrews.  The project’s ambitions helped the firm hone its skills at providing creative solutions or alternatives while delivering an environmentally conscious project within budget and to the highest quality standards of construction.

Bulley & Andrews has since increased their involvement with a number of sustainable and environmentally conscious buildings.  They recently completed the construction of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Educational Center in Skokie, Ill., which is aiming to achieve LEED Silver certification.  Additionally, universities in the Chicago area including DePaul University, The University of Chicago and the Illinois Institute of Technology have looked to Bulley & Andrews for their LEED and construction expertise.  

Over the past year, the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation has seen a substantial amount of operational savings through lower heating, air conditioning and electricity bills.  Saposnik said that a recent analysis was done of 10 months of operating costs.  It showed that it was on target of its original projections which was to save 45 percent in energy costs.  

With interest and curiosity coming from many, JRC has been giving docent-led tours to groups including community groups, American Institute of Architects (AIA) groups and various other general interest groups.  Additionally, they have spoken at many Jewish conventions about their new synagogue.  

“It is one thing to build a building that incorporates green elements, but it’s another thing to live the life,” said Saposnik.  “We are now obligated to do our part in continuing to be a leader.  We know we can live more green in our building.  We need to determine the best way to do it and encourage others to do so, too.”