Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation by Ross Barney Architects

The new Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in downtown Evanston, Chicago is the first synagogue in America to receive a Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification – the highest level in the US Green Building Council “green” rating system. Perhaps more importantly to the congregation, Ross Barney Architects have embodied the Jewish concept of tikkun olum: the Jewish principle of “repairing the world” – in this case, through the principles of green architecture.

The new project replaces Evanston’s existing synagogue – in terms of its role, and also because it quite literally takes over the site previously occupied by the old JRC building. But the established Chicago location meant that total demolition of the old synagogue wasn’t really an option. And so, in a move that symbolises the careful transmission of wisdom from religious teachers to each new generation, the new synagogue is built on the foundations of the old. Even more significantly, no effort was made to cover up the architectural history of the site. Quite the contrary, in fact rubble from the demolition has been gathered up and placed in wire cages, to form “gabion” or retaining walls, which mark out the edges of the garden and the children’s playground. There is no shame in memories of buildings past; history takes pride of place here. (Although an original plan to make the gabion walls a more prominent feature was rejected as too “harsh” and potentially reminiscent of a concentration camp. In time, the rubble-filled wire cages will be covered in vines, further softening the effect.)

At 31,600 square feet, the new synagogue is more than 10,000 square feet larger than its predecessor. That’s a lot of space – space that was once occupied by memorial trees shading the old building. But fear not, for these special trees have also been lovingly reconstituted as panelling for the Ceremonial door, so they continue to play an important and prominent role in the day-today life of the synagogue and its congregation.

All of these factors contribute to the green-ness of this, the first LEED Platinum-rated synagogue in the United States. After all, when the board of a synagogue mandates that its new building be as green as possible, what architect would disrespect their wishes? Other green features include solarpowered light fixtures and a storm water retention system, and exterior lighting with special cut-off optics to reduce light pollution.

And this ‘sacrifice’ wasn’t in vain: the new threestorey floorplan makes the most of a restricted building footprint, while gaining maximum usable access to the internal volume. The Congregation’s offices, early childhood program and chapel cover the first floor; the second floor is dedicated to education, including offices, classrooms and a library; and the practical spaces – the sanctuary, social hall and kitchen – are raised above on the third floor. The overall persona of the building is a youthful one: that of a casual, modern raw timber box, with irregularlyplaced windows and sleek timber panelling inside.

If the design is youthful, it is also versatile and flexible. JRC wanted plenty of multi-purpose space to serve all the purposes to which it might be put, but space and cost limitations forced Ross Barney Architects to take a more creative approach towards the internal format. Noticeably absent is a single, massive gathering space. Instead, the sanctuary has moveable chairs instead of pews, so that it can be converted into a large meeting room suitable for dancing or plays. Even more impressive, the rear of the sanctuary features an aircraft hangar door, which, when folded up into the ceiling, opens up the sanctuary to the adjoining social hall, almost doubling its capacity to 650 people.

Structurally and aesthetically, the synagogue’s vertical box layout is anchored by a three-storey Jerusalem stone clad wall. This in turn is punctuated by the external placement of the processional stair, which again serves both a practical and aesthetic function as a meaningful transition between the different functions of the building.

The Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation’s new synagogue is indeed an exercise in reconstruction and in tikkun olum. This benchmark of Platinumclass architecture helps its congregation to “repair the world” every time they walk past its salvaged rubble retaining walls, into the garden, and through those towering doors, made from the most local timber imaginable. +

IMAGES Courtesty and Copyright of Steve Hall, Hedrich Blessing Photographers

1. Solar-powered lighting, specially chosen construction and finishing materials and energy efficient design help to make this the first ever LEED Platinum-rated synagogue in the United States. 2. The new structure is anchored at its front end by a three-storey Jerusalem stone clad wall. 3. The main congregation space favours the functional flexibility of casual seating over formal fixed pews. 4. Material elements from outside – stone, timber and light – unify the internal and external spaces. 5. Raw-look timber and irregularly-placed windows give the building a youthful persona.