New church history library going green

The innovative design and construction of the new Church

History Library make the facility more than just an attractive venue for

accessing the archives of The

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This state-of-the-art building

was designed and constructed to meet the high standards for certification as a

"green" building through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

(LEED) rating system, putting it on track to receive the prestigious Silver

designation."We wanted a building that would

preserve the records of the church, that would be a great place for employees

and missionaries to work and for patrons to use records, and that would be a

credit to the church and the community," said Brent Thompson, director of

Records Preservation for the Church History Department. "A more 'green' building

helps in all four areas."

LEED certification, first implemented in

1998 and sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council, is the nationally

accepted standard for design, construction and operation of environmentally

friendly buildings.

"The church's commitment to attaining

LEED certification for the Church History Library is a reflection of their

long-term vision, and it underscores the leadership role the church plays on so

many levels in the community," said Jim Bradburn, director of Sustainable

Services at The RMH Group, a sustainable engineering services firm in Denver.

"The forward-looking design and focus on sustainability from the outset made

achieving the high professional standards required for certification a fluid

part of the process."

To make the grade, "green" buildings