Eco Factor: The Downtown Oakland SOM’s Cathedral of Christ uses the latest architectural design and lighting techniques to save on energy and building material alongside traditional iconography.
It is ironic how every time the words “church” and “iconography” come together, the mind seems to wander toward Dan Brown. But that is barely the point here and even the novelist would surely find something remarkable about the SOM’s Cathedral. The new and modern looking cathedral was constructed after the original one was damaged irreparably in 1989. The new cathedral is a lesson in green architecture, and it brings a modern twist to the church without offending the ancient heritage and religious sentiments.
The structure sports the shape of an upturned ark, which has a very strong wooden structure. The base and the wooden structure are crafted to withstand strong earthquakes while the rood allows natural light to illuminate the church all the time. Apart from the evening prayers, the 1500-seat church barely needs artificial illumination or heating. The building was constructed from recycled industrial waste fly ash and its design puts most modern structures to shame.
The Dark Side:
Considering the fact that this is a church, we are happy with whatever it does to go green. Maybe the Pope would one day pass an order to revamp all churches with green features like this as it sports biblical references like the ark and the ample light!
Via: Max4object
