Green: Cambridge Eco-Friendly Mosque

Rising above England's historic city of Cambridge skyline - is a new 'eco' friendly, costing almost 20 million Dollars first-purpose built mosque, on a 0.4 hectare site  in the city. It is being built on environmentally sustainable principles; and it will be Europe's first of its kind.
 
It is designed to accommodate a congregation of up-to one thousand people. The three-story mosque will have a Mecca-aligned grid of timber-clad columns inside, which will be extended to the exteriors by twenty cypress trees; latest heat pumps and conservation technology will be made use of; and green roofs will be featured. The mosque will be integrated with striking skylights and the structure will be naturally illuminated throughout the year. The well-insulated building will help in optimizing temperature, along with the use of energy-efficient technologies for heating and cooling. Locally generated energy from ground source heat pumps will also be used. An existing community garden will be enhanced with a new permeable green edge around the structure - by planting trees. Bicycle racks at street level and car parking in the basement will also be available.

The prayer hall will be the heart of the building, organized around the mihrab with the principal dome above it. Between the structural ‘trees’ within the prayer hall, soft natural light will filter in through circular glass domes. Twenty new cypress trees will create a permeable green edge around the building. Designed and being built with conservation technology and 'green' - in mind, the Mosque will have an almost zero carbon footprint. The building will also have: a cafe, a teaching area and meeting rooms for use by the local Muslim and non-Muslim communities.

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