With careful consideration of sustainable strategies and a modest budget of $230 per sq ft, the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation has achieved a LEED Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council.

The new building housing the JRC is a 31,600 sq ft facility replacing an existing 21,400 sq ft synagogue in a residential area of Evanston, an established Chicago suburb. Ross Barney Architects, with strong experience in community structures, created a design that balances the limitations of a small site with the congregations’ ambitious program promoting worship, educational, and community goals.