God designed the earth so that energy generated by natural processes is never wasted. To this day, we still don’t fully understand the basic, beautiful order of nature that has allowed our species to survive since before time was even an idea.
And while we’ve drifted away from that concept of sustainable living over the years, it doesn’t mean that because things aren’t perfect now, that they can’t be fixed. The responsibility God has placed in our hands to maintain His perfect order is greater than ever before.
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Constructing a sustainable place of worship is a great method to encourage people to care for God’s creation. If you’re stuck for inspiration for your next project, here are a few that are both amazing and environmentally friendly:
Scenery is important.
Planning a church’s design around its geographic setting is crucial (or any structure for that matter). It not only considers environmental, social, and economic factors, but it also removes typical barriers such a lack of access to local building materials, a lack of community involvement, and a lack of economic enrichment in the area. Picking the proper location for your project can have a significant positive impact on the environment, as using local materials and labor benefits the local economy and reduces the need for unnecessary resource consumption.
Copying Mother Nature.
You may have heard of this technique under the name “biomimicry,” and it’s a great way to cut expenses and increase productivity. Similar to the way that butterflies’ nanoscale scales keep them clean, a protective layer can be applied to the outside of buildings to keep them in pristine condition with minimal upkeep and expense. Solar panel technology is another common example of biomimicry, as it uses the sun’s rays to create usable energy in a manner similar to photosynthesis, the process by which plants transform the sun’s rays into chemical energy. Green and pure, this energy source also saves money in the long term.
Passive Design.
This architectural model is exemplary of sustainability because it minimizes or eliminates the use for artificial climate control systems like air conditioning, heating, lighting, etc. Using natural desiccants to remove humidity, constructing acoustically efficient spaces to lessen or eliminate the need for speakers and other electronics, and using vegetative roofing to deflect heat in the summer and retain warm air in the winter are all examples of passive design. This list of eco-friendly design choices can help your church save money and the environment.
The Time is Now.
God’s stories have been etched into buildings for millennia. It is now up to us to take care of the planet God made for us by designing with the organic processes we evolved from in mind. Congregants are more likely to adopt environmentally sustainable lifestyles if their church is designed to reflect the variety of natural systems that demonstrate the interconnectedness of life, death, and growth.
