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St. Joan of Arc Parish
Center Environmental Features
Church of St.
Joan of Arc Parish Center
Minneapolis, MN
The “Natural Step,” a process based
on ecological sustainability, inspired this project.
The following items were incorporated into the
project to minimize impact on the environment:
- PROGRAMMING
- The Space Use Committee, staff, parishioners,
and architect spent months designing a space
that is adequate for our needs, but is not
overbuilt.
- BUILDING MATERIALS
- Focus on locally manufactured materials
- Durable long-life materials
- Wood products from certified sustainable
forests
- Wood beams salvaged from Lake Superior
- Cork flooring -- a sustainable
product, made from the bark of oak trees
- Linoleum flooring -- made from linseed oil and jute, all natural
products
- Office furniture and conference room tables
made from wheat shaft, recycled newsprint,
recycled tires, cardboard tubes
- Overhead shelves in offices made from
recycled milk cartons
- Cabinets made from sunflower seeds
- Office chairs made from recycled milk
jugs (24 jugs per chair)
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- Reception area and library chairs made from
oak and hemp
- Counter tops made from soybeans
- Windowsills made from soybeans, newsprint,
and junk mail
- Tile in bathrooms and kitchens made from
recycled glass
- Rubber stairways made from recycled tires
(Note: costs for most of these materials is
not substantially different than “non-green”
products, and in some cases it is actually lower)
- ENERGY
- Exceed energy codes by 50 percent
- Energy efficient windows
- Operable windows
- High daylight levels to decrease need
for artificial lighting
- Energy recovery ventilation to capture
outgoing waste heat
- High efficiency condensing unit, and high
efficiency fan motor
- Energy efficient lighting
- Occupancy sensors -- lights go on
and off automatically
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