By Christina Keddie
October 3, 2014 (Princeton, NJ) – Stone Hill Church of Princeton announced today that it has been awarded LEED® certification. The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes, and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained, and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.
“We are so excited to be one of only 11 buildings in Princeton to have achieved LEED certification,” said Rev. Matthew P. Ristuccia, Stone Hill’s Senior Pastor. “We as a church are committed to good stewardship of the environment, and we are honored to have our efforts recognized by the USGBC.”
Stone Hill Church opened its doors on January 12, 2014, after about eighteen months of construction on the Bunn Drive site. The planning and construction process was marked by cooperation with municipal authorities and environmental best practices, with LEED certification in view from the very beginning. A third of the property has also been protected as a conservation easement and ties into the beautiful Herrontown Woods, which are adjacent to the property.
Stone Hill Church achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at achieving high performance in: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
LEED is the foremost program for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings. Over 54,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising over 10.1 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 135 countries.
“The strength of USGBC has always been the collective strength of our leaders in the building industry,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council. “Given the extraordinary importance of climate protection and the central role of the building industry in that effort, Stone Hill Church demonstrates their leadership through their LEED certification of their new church building.”
During the LEED certification process, Stone Hill was specifically recognized for its innovation in green design. The church uses water efficient landscaping, green power sources, regional materials in the building itself, low-emitting materials for high indoor environmental quality, among many other green design and building choices. The church also prioritized overall site sustainability, by providing a robust system of alternative transportation to the site (in the form of a low-emission and fuel-efficient tram service) and the maximization of open space on the site.
“Stone Hill Church is thankful for this recognition of its efforts, and we look forward to continuing on in innovation and sustainability,” said Ristuccia.
