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Emerson Unitarian Church
Houston, TX
LEED Certification 2005
Architect: Bailey Architects

Estimated Utility Savings > $12,000 Annually
Water Use Reduced 26%
75% Construction Waste Recycled
Motion Sensors Turn Off Lights
Native Landscape Restores Habitat
Green Operations And Maintenance Plan

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Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church

Bailey Architects

UU Green Sanctuary Program

LEED for New Construction

Green Operations and Maintenance

Emerson Unitarian Church's new Educational Building was the first church in Texas and the second church in the entire nation to achieve LEED certification. The seventh principal of the Unitarian Church is to "promote respect for the interdependent web of existence of which we are all a part," and Emerson Unitarian Church has been recognized as a "Green Sanctuary" for their commitment to the seventh principal. During construction, over 4,000 pounds of construction waste were recycled, earning the project innovation credits for construction waste management with the US Green Building Council. Exceptional use of regionally manufactured and recycled materials in the building also earned innovation credits. The congregation has used their new building as a teaching tool, helping other congregations to reduce the environmental impacts of their facilities.