Sustainable Design<\/b><\/p>\n
The defining feature of Cambridge Mosque is its timber structure. The columns, or \u2018trees\u2019, reach up to support the roof in an interlaced octagonal lattice vault structure evocative of English gothic fan vaulting, famously used at the nearby King\u2019s College Chapel. The timber is sustainably sourced spruce which has been curved and laminated. Roof lights are located above the \u2018trees\u2019, bathing the prayer hall in light. The octagonal geometry has strong symbolism in Islamic art, suggesting the cycle of inhalation and exhalation \u2013 the \u2018Breath of the Divine\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe<\/i> mosque<\/i> is<\/i> committed<\/i> to<\/i> sustainability:<\/i> its<\/i> advanced<\/i> eco-<\/i>design<\/i> gives<\/i> it<\/i> a<\/i> near-<\/i>zero<\/i> carbon<\/i> footprint,<\/i> honours<\/i> natural<\/i> forms <\/i>with<\/i> sustainable<\/i> timber<\/i> vaulting,<\/i> and<\/i> reminds<\/i> the<\/i> visitor<\/i> of<\/i> our<\/i> connection<\/i> to<\/i> nature.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
First<\/b> Eco-Mosque<\/b><\/p>\n
Environmental concerns have been paramount in the design of the new Cambridge Mosque. Muslims feel a strong imperative to protect the environment, as it is a gift from the Divine. Abdal Hakim Murad notes that \u201cIslamic civilization has been based on the rejection of waste as an underestimation of God\u2019s blessing, and so in the construction of the new mosque here in Cambridge, we were very much at the forefront of the local environmental movement\u201d.<\/p>\n
The building is naturally lit all year round by large skylights in the roof, supplemented by low energy LED bulbs, while photovoltaic cells on the roof help generate renewable energy from sunlight. As well as being very well-insulated and naturally ventilated, the mosque is heated and cooled by locally generated energy, by way of highly efficient heat pumps in the basement that produce far more energy than they consume. This type of heat pump extracts energy from the relatively stable temperature of the air or ground water, heating the building as needed and cooling it at times of high occupancy or excess heat gains.<\/p>\n
Grey water and rainwater are harvested to flush WCs and irrigate the grounds. The building\u2019s carbon footprint \u2013 which is already low \u2013 will improve over time as mains electricity from renewable sources becomes more available. Green transport has also been taken into consideration in the design: there is ample space for bikes and it\u2019s easily accessible by pedestrians, while an underground car park frees up space on site for the mosque and gardens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18509,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"cycle":[80],"class_list":["post-18508","short-list","type-short-list","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cycle-5th"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfozanaward.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/short-list\/18508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfozanaward.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/short-list"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfozanaward.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/short-list"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfozanaward.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alfozanaward.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/short-list\/18508\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18551,"href":"https:\/\/alfozanaward.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/short-list\/18508\/revisions\/18551"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfozanaward.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alfozanaward.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cycle","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alfozanaward.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cycle?post=18508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}