“This is a real marriage of theology and architecture,” Dwight Duncan, Ontario's energy minister told architect Roberto Chiotti who designed the “green” St. Gabriel's Roman Catholic Church in Toronto.
“Churches, mosques, synagogues, gurdwaras and temples represent a real opportunity when it comes to conservation,” said Duncan. “By making their buildings and grounds greener, faith communities will be able to reduce energy costs by 20 per cent or more.”
“Reducing costs was one of the reasons for building a green church,” Father Paul Cusack, Pastor of St. Gabriel's explained. “But our primary motivation was to establish a link between the sacredness of the gathered community of faith and the sacredness of Earth.” Included in St. Gabriel's state-of-the-art green design are a solar glass wall on the south face that harnesses the energy of the sun and features a “living wall” draped in foliage over which a thin layer of water constantly flows. The living wall is designed to purify the air of both the gathering space and the main sanctuary.
“There are approximately 1,100 faith community buildings in the greater Toronto area and if only one quarter improved the energy efficiency of their place of worship they could reduce their green house gas emissions by an estimated 26,500 tonnes,” said Ted Reeve of Faith and the Common Good, a national organization focusing on matters of social and environmental concern. “They could also reduce their energy bills by 20 per cent or more.” – Ontario's Conservation Bureau
