The Diocesan Dialogue
Current Issue
February 2008

"We are Home!"

Episcopal Church Center of Utah opens for all Episcopalians in Diocese

A snow covered construction area will become the commons area to the south of the ECCU.

With saws sawing, hammers nailing, and sheet-rock being mudded in the background, movers delivered the first boxes into the Episcopal Church Center of Utah (ECCU) on December 31, 2007. New Years Eve was just a little more exciting with Salt Lake City authorizing occupancy of the office wing of the 24-thousand-foot center. On the other side of the office walls, construction workers continued shaping the hospitality center, meeting rooms, and the commons.

By January 3rd, the Diocese was officially re-located at 75 South 200 East in Salt Lake City. The neighboring Cathedral Church of St. Mark staff kindly cooked lunch for the Diocesan workers during a break in the unpacking. All had realized the big day had finally come. The ECCU, designed for all our parishes, all Episcopalians, church resource opportunities, hospitality, and high tech meetings was open. The Rt. Rev. Carolyn Tanner Irish had dubbed the 18-month construction project "Embracing the Vision." That vision was now officially embraced as the doors of the rented cavernous office building down the street were locked, and the Diocesan staff was now working on computers and making calls from the new sandstone and brick building.

The building is open and airy. It was designed that way to greet those who are stopping by for church matters, to browse the soonto- be-opened bookstore, visit staff, attend a retreat, or just to pause and escape from the noise of the busy city. Bishop Irish welcomes the diverse visitors by repeating the words she has used for decades, "Whoever you are, wherever you come from, you are welcome among us."

The reception atrium is still under construction. Visitors to the Diocesan offices, the hospitality retreat rooms, the bookstore, resource center, and conference rooms will be greeted in this area just inside the main entrance on 200 East in downtown Salt Lake City.

Besides the smiles on the faces of the Diocesan staff (and the sounds of the hammers down the hall), visitors can look at some of the eco-friendly touches architects Thomas Buese and Kenton Peters designed into the center. They include pathways that absorb rain and snow, rather than send it to storm drains, drawing naturally heated (56 degrees) water from the earth for heat in the winter and cooling in the summer--with pumps that return the water to its natural underground source, and windows designed for maximum energy savings.

Peters explained, "We wanted to provide a great amount of natural daylight into the building itself. The more daylight we bring into the building without glare, the less electrical lighting we have to use. Our electrical loads are thus reduced and our heating loads are reduced. We have done that by recessing the windows 3 feet from the façade of the building." The recessed windows keep direct sunlight from entering the building to overheat the space and cause glare.

Bishop Irish saw the design as vital to the church's green ministry. She said, "Buildings are among the principal ways we are learning to take better care of the environment. Therefore, the design of our new facility is indeed eco-friendly."

The building was also designed to reflect the lines and stonework of St. Mark's Cathedral. It is set back from the street so that the Cathedral is visible from the busy corner, and especially from the Commons area that fronts the Episcopal Church Center of Utah. The ECCU now completes a historic "Episcopal Square" in downtown Salt Lake City that was started when Bishop Daniel S. Tuttle laid the cornerstone for St. Mark's Cathedral in 1870. The ECCU occupies the west end of the block. The Cathedral is just to the east.

An outdoor Labyrinth graces the grounds between the two buildings offering opportunities for all to experience the journey of a "walking prayer." The new St. Mark's Cathedral Center is to the east and north of the historic Cathedral. It is also set back from the street allowing the Cathedral's windows and stonework to be highly visible to passers-by, and Hildegarde's Pantry lines the east side of the Episcopal Square.

The ECCU and the rest of the Episcopal Square is easily accessible by taking either the northern or southern downtown exits from I- 15. Diocesan phone numbers will remain the same (801-322-4131), as will the Post Office Box address (P.O. Box 3090). The street address of the new building is 75 South 200 East, Salt Lake City, Ut. 84111.

Stop by!

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