Our Green Building

First Parish in Needham is the first house of worship in Massachusetts to receive the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s prestigious Energy Star, the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. Nationwide, First Parish is just the sixth house of worship to be so recognized.

Co-founded with the town in 1711, First Parish is Needham’s oldest religious community. Our current meeting house was built in 1836 and is the oldest public building in Needham. Following flower communion in June of 2007, we vacated the physical home of First Parish to make way for an extensive rebuilding and renovation project. The old Parish Hall, built in 1888, was essentially razed, and a beautiful new, larger, and environmentally progressive building rose in its place. Despite being 25% percent larger and the addition of air conditioning, the new building has reduced First Parish’s utility costs 50 percent and our "carbon footprint" by 43 percent.

The new Parish Hall (below) is a sparkling air-conditioned space ideally suited for receptions and parties, artistic performances, art shows, and, of course, coffee hour. Sun-drenched by day, intimate at night, Parish Hall has excellent acoustics and a beautiful maple floor harvested from sustainable forests. An adjacent modern pantry facilitates the final preparation of food and beverages to be served in Parish Hall. The ground floor was completely rebuilt giving us well-equipped classrooms, a music room, and the beautiful Oakman Parlor. Similarly, the office wing was completely renovated and now houses modern offices, a copy and mail room, and the Wyeth Conference Room. Water use in the new building is down 40% from pre-renovation levels.

Elements that contribute to the remarkable energy efficiency of the new building include:

High-efficiency argon-filled windows
An improved ventilation system that allows for heat recovery
High-efficiency air conditioning, with eco-friendly refrigerants
Separate temperature control for all spaces
Extensive passive heating in Parish Hall, along with “free-cooling” using CO2 sensors
High efficiency light fixtures throughout and motion-controlled switches in many rooms
Energy Star appliances
High R-rated insulation
Low-flow toilets, with separate settings for liquid and solid waste and automatic low-flush flush urinals
Retention of storm water onsite, reducing load on the public sewer system

First Parish’s commitment to the environment is also shown in its use of materials, such as maple flooring harvested from sustainable forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and paints, carpets, furniture and other materials chosen for their environmental friendliness. Our maintenance of the buildings and grounds includes the use of organic fertilizers and green cleaning products and supplies. The building is also pre-wired and piped for a five-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system on the roof to generate electricity. Adding the solar panels remains an important goal for the congregation.

The realization of our dream for a truly green building reflects a deep committment on the part of First Parish to the seventh principle of Unitarian Universalism — respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. That committment is further embodied in the Green Sanctuary initiative, a parish-wide effort to live mindfully on this precious planet.

Check out the profile of First Parish on the Energy Star website.