This article tells of a-not-everyday occurrence. It draws a logical connection between two seemingly unrelated entities—environment and religion, and reports in depth how this innovative partnership is being put in play. The old residence and land of the Episcopal Sisters of the Community of the Holy Spirit, St. Hilda’s House on 113 Street in Morningside Heights, was sold to Columbia University. This financial transaction has given the sisters the opportunity to create a new home for themselves with a portion set aside as donation to their order. The nuns devotion to sustainable development can already be seen by their choice on how to use their financial gain. Their new establishment will be on Convent Avenue at 150th Street in West Harlem, and Chelsea’s BKSK Architects will be responsible for the design and construction of said project. They will work together with the nuns to create a top to bottom green haven.

Stephen Bryns and Julie Nelson, representatives of BKSK Architects, won out in the end out of the original 14 companies vying for the 113 Street Sisters relocation. They have extensive experience in green construction, such as the green building in Queens Botanical Graden and the eco Sephardic Synagogue in Gravesend, Brooklyln. They carefully laid out plans for a solar power heating system, rainwater collection, ingenious use of natural light, ventilation and environmentally sensitive materials. Ultimately, what won BKSK firm their victory was the idea of a green rooftop garden to provide fresh fruits and vegetables.

St. Hilda’s House journey to a green living has not been riddled without hardships and complications. When Sister Helena Marie originally voiced the proposition, it was not embraced with euthusiasm. Many felt that the idea was not practical and its execution difficult. The household was divided into two teams, those that thought they should focus on healing the Earth and those that believed in healing the people. Over time, they came to realize that saving the planet is a part of caring for the masses. Their faith was the bridge that eventually reconciled their believe with their way of living. In the ten years that followed, their promise to sustainable development has continued to grow along with their order. Environmentally-friendly practices could immediately be seen upon walking in St. Hilda’s House, such as the use of energy-efficient lightbulbs. Their are framed images of the ecological system along with scientific print material in the conference room, such as National Geographic, Scientific American, Solar Today and “Mainstreaming Renewable Energy in the 21st Century”. The sisters recycle bottles and cans on a daily basis, and use leftover food scraps as compost in the garden. They have joined a car-sharing service called Zipcar and use fair trade coffee beans and other products. Sister Faith Margaret, Sister Claire Joy and Sister Leslie travel around constantly and hold seminars on how to better green one’s life.

The Episcopal Sisters of the Community of the Holy Spirit’s new living quarters on 150th Street were finished in the spring of 2010. The blueplans showed a four-story light grey brick structure with two vegetables garden on the roof, one which will be directly on top of the sisters sleeping quarters to lend a cooling effect. There is also a two-story chapel behind the structure with clear glass skylights to amply use natural light and a floor made from a selection of environmentally sound materials such as stone, bamboo and cork. All materials used are from recycled conrete and glass. Sister Faith Margaret implies that the bricks are locally made as another effort to promote sustainable development. All these details coply with the sisters wishes to “green from the ground up”, reduce their carbon outlay and lead by example. The universe is a creation of God and as Sister Faith Margaret implies, spiritual matters and embracing environmentalism is their stewardship.