A new twist on green sacred spaces: Sudbury dome church nearing completion.

AuthorKelly, Lindsay
PositionNEWS

Watching the installation of acoustic panels in the ceiling of the 550-seat auditorium at All Nations Church's new building, Pastor Jeremy Mahood looked perplexed.

Based on plans for the auditorium, Mahood had estimated the panels to be placed differently, and he'll now have to find a creative way to adjust to the change in design.

"That's one thing about the project," Mahood mused. "No matter what is drawn on the plans, we always seem to be making adjustments."

It's a lesson he's learned well over the last five years as the monolithic dome--the first of its kind in Northern Ontario--has taken shape on a hill overlooking downtown Sudbury.

Following a loan agreement of $2.3 million from Northern Credit Union last year that has allowed the church to finish construction, Mahood estimated the project would reach substantial completion by Dec. 23, and the church would be ready for occupancy by mid-January.

The project, which began in 2011, comprises a 13,000-square-foot monolithic dome attached by a covered walkway to the 4,000-square-foot "Core" building, an office complex and youth centre. The congregation has built the structure on a pay-as-you-go system, raising $4.5 million toward the project.

Construction hasn't been without its challenges. The HVAC system came in at $250,000 over budget and had to be redesigned, so the planned use of heat pumps has been replaced with natural gas.

The LED lighting also came in over budget, and the carpeting, which still has to be manufactured, is late in arriving.

But Mahood isn't swayed by these setbacks and still believes the church is a great example of using industrial design for a sacred space.

"It's frustrating when things come in way over budget," he said. "Our goal is still to be as green a building as we can be, and we still will be one, of the greenest buildings in Ontario."

Once construction is complete, the church will pair up with the program Greening Sacred Spaces to use All Nations Church as an example of green building.

"We're hoping that what we've learned in terms of green energy and green construction, we'll be able to pass the information along to other large buildings," he said.

The centrepiece of the project is the auditorium where services will be held. It includes finely tuned acoustics specially designed for the space, image magnification technology for broadcasting...

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