NEW YORK—Jehovah’s Witnesses, well-known for their global Bible education work, are receiving recognition for excellence in environmentally sustainable building design and construction.
The Green Building Initiative (GBI) awarded certifications for two new buildings at the Witnesses’ United States branch facilities in Wallkill, New York: the Watchtower Farms F Residence, completed in late 2012, and the Watchtower Wallkill Office Building, completed in 2014. Both of the buildings received the highest award of Four Green Globes.
Watchtower Wallkill Office Building
Shaina Sullivan, Marketing Director for GBI, notes: “Worldwide, less than 4 percent of all buildings assessed under the program have achieved this top certification of Four Green Globes.” Ms. Sullivan added that the Watchtower Wallkill Office Building “is the first nonresidential project in New York State to earn this rating.” Jenna Middaugh, Project Manager for GBI, commented: “Of the 23 buildings [in the United States] that have been certified with Four Green Globes since 2006, the Watchtower Wallkill Office Building achieved the highest point score with 94 percent.”
Watchtower Farms F Residence
GBI administers Green Globes as a commercial rating system and certification program that utilizes a third-party on-site assessment of sustainable design and construction. Achieving a Green Globes rating requires environmentally sensitive site design that focuses on water management, minimization of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing the impact on natural resources by selection of appropriate materials, and creating a healthful indoor environment.
Photovoltaic panels provide at least 10 percent of the electrical energy needs for the Watchtower Wallkill Office Building, a feature of the building’s award-winning sustainable design.
David Bean, sustainable design coordinator for the Witnesses’ facilities in the United States, says: “The achievement of these awards attests to the high standard of design and construction work that we set for all of our projects. We are also pursuing Green Globes certification in the design and construction of our new world headquarters in Warwick, New York.”
Installation of a green roof, one of the sustainable features of the Witnesses’ new world headquarters in Warwick, New York.
Zeny St. Jean, who coordinates global building projects for Jehovah’s Witnesses from their world headquarters, states: “While our primary focus is the advancement of Bible education, we appreciate these awards as professional recognition of the environmentally conscientious building design and construction that we strive to implement at our facilities around the world.”