The History of Sustainable Building
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The Monastery of Christ in the Desert
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The Monastery of Christ in the Desert
It is not common today to come to a place where wood burning stoves are still the normal method of heating in winters that can be as cold as -35° F. Nor is it common to find a place where the old fashioned kerosene lamp (called by some a coal oil lamp) is the standard light for reading and for other illumination. The Monastery had both of these in most of its buildings until 1996.
In the Church of the Monastery, the heating for many years was by propane stoves. On Christmas Eve, in the winter of 1974 the temperature outside was -7° F and the temperature inside was just zero. The four propane stoves had been running full blast for three days, but were unable to warm the Church. Many times in the history of our Monastery the monks have come to the Church in the early mornings (we begin public prayer at 4:00 am) and have brought blankets with them to survive the bitter cold.
In the Church of the Monastery, the heating for many years was by propane stoves. On Christmas Eve, in the winter of 1974 the temperature outside was -7° F and the temperature inside was just zero. The four propane stoves had been running full blast for three days, but were unable to warm the Church. Many times in the history of our Monastery the monks have come to the Church in the early mornings (we begin public prayer at 4:00 am) and have brought blankets with them to survive the bitter cold.
Conditions
The primitive conditions of the Monastery always had a special appeal, particularly to guests. There is something that touches the soul when life is kept primitive. The monks in general were a young community and happy to show survival skills in such a primitive setting. Over the years however, the monks began to realize that their life was already tough and a rare kind of life, not only in their own Church but also in civil society. Changes began to appear slowly at the end of the 1970s.
In 1979 the Monastery of Christ in the Desert constructed a greenhouse attached to its main building. Already the community had a deep interest in solar energy and the uses of the sun to help with energy needs in its remote site. The new greenhouse had many 55 gallon drums of water in it to help hold the heat for the plants and also to help heat the main building. The wall that mostly faced the south was windows and the roof was a translucent fiberglass material.
In the early 1980s Ghost Ranch Conference Center gave to the Monastery a few small solar photovoltaic cells that could run an electric light.
By the end of the 1980s the Monastery had invested in many more photovoltaic cells and had DC electric lights in its main building and in the Chapel. A benefactor gave old telephone batteries to the Monastery as a help to get the solar electric system running.
From its beginning the Monastery has had an interest in being sensitive to environmental and ecological concerns. It wanted to fit into the Chama Canyon, using the elements that were already here. Thus the buildings were all of adobe or of the simplest frame construction. The heating was at one point done with propane, because it was cheap and relatively non-polluting. Later all the heating was done with wood burning stoves because of the increased cost of propane.
In 1988 a decision was taken by the monks. They decided that they must build an adequate monastic facility in which both young and old monks could live and which would be set up in a traditional monastic fashion. The monks had come to recognize that adequate monastic buildings had an important role to play in the future of the monastery.
As the project to construct a truly adequate Monastery developed, Philippe Register, the original architect of our present master plan, suggested that we build in Straw Bale. As the master plan was worked out and as the Monastery sought a contractor, the interest in environment, ecology and sustainability became more important concerns. Finally, Mr. Burke Denman was found as a person interested in these concerns-and through him, of course, Denman and Associates became the contractor for the Monastery project.
Over the years of planning and constructing, a truly impressive cooperation has developed which is resulting in a monastery that will be one of the most beautiful monasteries in the world. Janice Vascott took over as chief architect when Philippe Register retired. Her contributions to the project have been immense. She has resolutely insisted on the combination of practicality and beauty in every phase of the design.
Mark Sardella joined this group effort as the Renewable Energy Consultant. He is affectionately called the "electric policeman." Whenever we need a question answered about how much energy we can use, what equipment is possible, how many lights can we have, etc., Mark comes up with an answer that makes sense even to the monks who are not familiar with technical language.
The final goal is to have a monastery that is truly sensitive to all of the issues involved in environmental sustainability, to ecology and to the use of alternate and renewable sources of energy.
At present here at Christ in the Desert, all electrical power comes from a solar photovoltaic electric system. There are "trackers" with photovoltaic panels on top that feed electricity to a bank of large batteries. From there, inverters change the electricity to AC and it powers the needs of the monastery. There are two large and quiet propane operated generators that act as a backup in case there is no sun for a period of time.
In 1979 the Monastery of Christ in the Desert constructed a greenhouse attached to its main building. Already the community had a deep interest in solar energy and the uses of the sun to help with energy needs in its remote site. The new greenhouse had many 55 gallon drums of water in it to help hold the heat for the plants and also to help heat the main building. The wall that mostly faced the south was windows and the roof was a translucent fiberglass material.
In the early 1980s Ghost Ranch Conference Center gave to the Monastery a few small solar photovoltaic cells that could run an electric light.
By the end of the 1980s the Monastery had invested in many more photovoltaic cells and had DC electric lights in its main building and in the Chapel. A benefactor gave old telephone batteries to the Monastery as a help to get the solar electric system running.
From its beginning the Monastery has had an interest in being sensitive to environmental and ecological concerns. It wanted to fit into the Chama Canyon, using the elements that were already here. Thus the buildings were all of adobe or of the simplest frame construction. The heating was at one point done with propane, because it was cheap and relatively non-polluting. Later all the heating was done with wood burning stoves because of the increased cost of propane.
In 1988 a decision was taken by the monks. They decided that they must build an adequate monastic facility in which both young and old monks could live and which would be set up in a traditional monastic fashion. The monks had come to recognize that adequate monastic buildings had an important role to play in the future of the monastery.
As the project to construct a truly adequate Monastery developed, Philippe Register, the original architect of our present master plan, suggested that we build in Straw Bale. As the master plan was worked out and as the Monastery sought a contractor, the interest in environment, ecology and sustainability became more important concerns. Finally, Mr. Burke Denman was found as a person interested in these concerns-and through him, of course, Denman and Associates became the contractor for the Monastery project.
Over the years of planning and constructing, a truly impressive cooperation has developed which is resulting in a monastery that will be one of the most beautiful monasteries in the world. Janice Vascott took over as chief architect when Philippe Register retired. Her contributions to the project have been immense. She has resolutely insisted on the combination of practicality and beauty in every phase of the design.
Mark Sardella joined this group effort as the Renewable Energy Consultant. He is affectionately called the "electric policeman." Whenever we need a question answered about how much energy we can use, what equipment is possible, how many lights can we have, etc., Mark comes up with an answer that makes sense even to the monks who are not familiar with technical language.
The final goal is to have a monastery that is truly sensitive to all of the issues involved in environmental sustainability, to ecology and to the use of alternate and renewable sources of energy.
At present here at Christ in the Desert, all electrical power comes from a solar photovoltaic electric system. There are "trackers" with photovoltaic panels on top that feed electricity to a bank of large batteries. From there, inverters change the electricity to AC and it powers the needs of the monastery. There are two large and quiet propane operated generators that act as a backup in case there is no sun for a period of time.
Electric System
From this electric system the Monastery operates the electric lights for 22 monastic cells, 2 office spaces, a small computer network consisting of almost three dozen computers, various printers and scanners and a Sattelite Modem, 7 refrigerators, a commercial kitchen, the lights of the Abbey Church, the lights of the main building of the monastery, the complete electric needs of a monastery for Sisters and about 5 other computers with their various printers and an additional Sattelite Modem. All of the water is pumped by electricity from this system as well as a relatively large reverse osmosis unit.
In the very first days of the monastery there was generator supplied electricity. It was arranged in such a way that a monk could turn on a light and the generator would start up. The generator was turned off at 9:00 pm and no one was allowed to use it after that time. It supplied reading lights in the cells and the lights in the first small chapel and in the original monastery building which had but four rooms.
That system continued until about 1973, when the generator broke. The Monastery had very few monks at that time. The generator was repaired but as it was being lowered back into position, it fell and broke again. It was not repaired that time. Instead the monks made do without electricity for the most part. There was a much smaller generator that was used for a few power tools and to charge the battery that supported a radio system that linked the monastery to the outside world.
In 1974 there was little or no movement to change anything because the community was so small and had such few financial resources that it seemed to many that the community would not survive.
It was only as the community began to grow again and as financial resources improved that there was thought given to what we should do and how we should do it. Along with the sustainable, environmental and ecological issues the Monastery here has always had an immense concern for aesthetics.
In the very first days of the monastery there was generator supplied electricity. It was arranged in such a way that a monk could turn on a light and the generator would start up. The generator was turned off at 9:00 pm and no one was allowed to use it after that time. It supplied reading lights in the cells and the lights in the first small chapel and in the original monastery building which had but four rooms.
That system continued until about 1973, when the generator broke. The Monastery had very few monks at that time. The generator was repaired but as it was being lowered back into position, it fell and broke again. It was not repaired that time. Instead the monks made do without electricity for the most part. There was a much smaller generator that was used for a few power tools and to charge the battery that supported a radio system that linked the monastery to the outside world.
In 1974 there was little or no movement to change anything because the community was so small and had such few financial resources that it seemed to many that the community would not survive.
It was only as the community began to grow again and as financial resources improved that there was thought given to what we should do and how we should do it. Along with the sustainable, environmental and ecological issues the Monastery here has always had an immense concern for aesthetics.
Today
Today the monastic community continues to think about the future and about ways of living in this beautiful canyon that will continue to preserve nature and allow humans to live here in peace. The cooperation between the monks, the contractor, the architect and the renewable energy consultant is remarkable. Each works for the good of the whole project and each is willing to discuss and to change when that seems indicated. The project has created a model not only of environmental sustainability, but a model for collaboration between the various specialties and an owner.