Finchley Reform Synagogue has been granted planning permission from Barnet Council to tear down its premises and construct an environmentally friendly religious hub, community centre and nursery.

The low-carbon Passivhaus design will make the shul one of the first purpose-built religious buildings of its kind in the UK. It will incorporate a four-metre high prayer hall, complemented by community-focused public areas.

Project architects at de Metz Forbes Knight (dMFK) say Finchley Reform has taken inspiration from the Eco Synagogue initiative.

Finchley Reform chair Bob Humphreys said a feature of the new building would be heat retention from the sun and human bodies, meaning that minimal traditional heating would be required.

“As well as having solar panels on the roof that will provide heat, we will be using below ground labyrinth technologies to cool the air into the building, avoiding the need for air conditioning.

“It is incredibly important that our new building is good for the environment and efficient. Our current building is not and we starting this project from the ground up.”

Building work on the £4 million scheme will start in August and the shul is embarking on a fundraising campaign.

Mr Humphreys added that negotiations over the use of a nearby site during construction were ongoing.

“We are very excited about the design. Most shuls these days are more than places of worship. They are community centres, nurseries and youth clubs. The new building will reflect that and provide spaces for all the activities we run.”

Julian de Metz of dMFK said the design “balances worship and spirituality with highly practical community functions.

“We are lucky to be pushed by this community to go above and beyond current standards in making a low energy and ambitious building.”