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St. Stephen's
Cathedral
Excerpt taken from US Airways Attaché Magazine, April 2002.
A group in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is providing us with one example of the
way in which individuals can make a difference. The members of St.
Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral, as part of their educational
outreach ministry, are undertaking a multimillion-dollar project
to build a church structure that is energy-efficient and environmentally
friendly. The design of this "green" project is intended
to be effective not only once the building is in operation but also
while the construction is in progress.
The
project began as an effort to expand the church’s innovative
school program, which serves 190 students, many of them inner-city
kids. For years, St. Stephen’s classrooms have been tucked
away in basements and other parts of buildings that date back to
the early nineteenth century.
With
the planning in its earliest phase, a group within the congregation
wondered whether the building project also could embrace its members’
interests in the environment. "Say the word and maybe we can
find others whose ministry is like yours," Dean Malcolm McDowell
said. "Can we combine our building project and the need to
be environmentally sensitive? It took on a life of its own. We became
committed to it."
With a grant and technical assistance from Interfaith Power and
Light, a religious and environmental partnership sponsored by the
Heinz Endowments, it became clear that the church could carry out
a green project that not only could be cost-neutral as compared
to traditional construction methods, but also would generate considerable
savings in energy costs over time.
The
task is not an easy one. Two of the buildings are on the National
Historic Register–the main church, built in 1826, and an adjacent
mansion, built in the 1840s. A third component, a parking garage,
dates to 1913.
To
give further definition to the project, the congregation decided
to become the first church in the country to seek recognition under
the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design program. The program sets strict criteria in
everything from the prevention of soil erosion during construction
to the use of energy-efficient mechanical systems.
In just one example
of combining modern energy-saving and historic preservation, the
design
team is reopening old natural-ventilation systems in the roof of
the cathedral and installing variable-speed fans rather than an
expensive air-conditioning system. This will cost 40 percent less
to install and will pay for itself in just four years due to energy-cost
savings.
Green
principles are being applied in a similar manner throughout the
building, according to the architect, Vern McKissick. Innovative
heat-exchange systems will be used instead of traditional heating
and cooling. The conversion of the garage into a building will feature
recycled materials ranging from steel bolts to insulation.
When the project is completed, McKissick estimates that the church
will save tens of thousands of dollars annually in energy costs.
And the green concept is catching on elsewhere in the heart of Harrisburg,
where the cathedral is located two blocks from the state capitol.
When the congregation learned that a ten-story office building was
being planned for an adjacent parcel, they were able to persuade
the builder to embrace green building principles.
Fundraising for the church project is almost complete, and Dean
McDowell says that it attracts donors because it embraces green
building principles. The church hopes to break ground this summer.
The
parishioners of St. Stephen’s are demonstrating that we can
take our environmental future into our own hands and that there
are others who can guide us if we but look for them.
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