According to local mass media the first eco-friendly mosque in Islamic world is 85 percent complete and is set to open its doors to worshippers shortly. The eco-friendly mosque would be the largest of its kind in Dubai, spreading across 9750 square meters with a built-up area of 4200 square meters. The mosque can accommodate 3,500 worshippers. The project, which will be located near the Deira Clock Tower, aims to achieve the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for conformance to the sustainability requirements of the US Green Building Council (USGBC). The mosque integrates renewable energy solutions in its design. This is illustrated in the exterior lighting poles that are fitted with solar panels, battery storage system that is powered by solar energy, and the use of solar panels instead of energy-draining electric heaters for the purpose of water heating. The use of energy-saving LED lights over regular bulbs, and a control system that automatically switches on the lights to correspond with prayer times or in the presence of an individual in the hall are some of the other eco-friendly solutions integrated into the design of the mosque. In addition to daylight sensors in the extension of the mosque, a climate control system has also been installed to regulate the air-conditioning units according to prayer times and the number of worshippers. Among other solutions used is thermal insulation in the building material for roofs and exterior walls to reduce heat transfer, and double-glazed windows with metal coating to minimize the intensity of solar radiation into the mosque. Technologically advanced equipment has also been installed for improving indoor air quality and the performance of the air-conditioning system. Last year Turkey also announced plans to build world's first eco mosque, which will use green technologies, for example solar and wind power to produce electricity.

Today in Moscow officially inaugurated the Armenian Church, which is the largest abroad religious complex of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The ceremony was led by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. In official ceremony participated Armenian President Serj Sargsyan, other special guests from Armenian and Russia. The sanctification ceremony of foundation stone was held on the Trifinova Street in 2004 by the late Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. Construction works began in 2006. In 2011 held the sanctification ceremony of the cross. Earlier was reported that the Church construction end planned in 2012. The architect of the religious complex is Artak Gulian. Construction is funded by Armenian and Russian patrons. The whole Cathedral site is about 13.2 thousand square meters; the height of the Cathedral Church is about 50 meters and the dome diameter - 21 meters. The main cross height is 7 meters, and the remaining 5 crosses rise by 4 meters each. The complex includes the Cathedral, the small church of "Holy Cross", diocese head residence, educational, cultural, administrative and reception facilities, a museum and a 200 car underground parking.

Authorities in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, recently discovered an illegal structure on the roof of a luxury high-rise, China Daily reported. The temple like structure was built on the roof of a 19-story residential building in the city's Nanshan district years ago. A thick metal door with a fingerprint lock separates the 19-th story from the roof. Liu Minxing, deputy head of the law enforcement team of the Shahe sub district office, said that after receiving the report of the illegal structure, his team went to the building several times, but couldn't check out the rooftop structure because they could not gain access to it. The structure's owner refused to open the door and did not meet the team, Liu said. But Liu said that the on roof structure is illegal because the law bans such structures from being built on roofs. Some people in the building said that the owner of the structure often held sacrifices in it, and ash of burned paper fell to the windows of their apartments. The owner of the rooftop structure is the owner of the apartments on the 19 floor, but the residential management office declined to provide any information about the owner, citing privacy concerns. According to a broker with a real estate agency nearby, the price of the building's apartments averages US$ 4,900 per square meter, and the total price of the 19 floor apartments was over US$ 2.5 million. "The owner of the apartments on the 19 floor who built the rooftop structure must be rich or a high-ranking official who had a lot of connections to avoid punishment," the broker said. Liu said his team will continue their investigation into the structure and try to get information about the owner from the residential management office. "If the owner refuses to co-operate with our investigation, we will connect with police, firefighters and the local safety supervision department to form a working group and find a way to open the door," Liu said. The owner could be punished under the law concerned if the structure is deemed to be illegal, Liu said. Earlier a Chinese man is believed to have illegally built an astonishing rooftop palace on the top of a residential building in Beijing . The bizarre two-story edifice - which looks like it has been carved from a mountainside - was constructed by a man known only as Professor Zhang on the top of a suburban apartment block. The professor is said to have spent over six years building his home, after knocking down the penthouse he bought on the 26th floor in 2007.

The Cardboard Cathedral designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban opened to the public on August 6 in Christchurch, New Zealand. The building was designed by Shigeru Ban as a temporary replacement for the city's former Anglican cathedral, which was destroyed by the earthquake that struck the city in February 2011. With an expected lifespan of around 50 years, it will serve the community until a more permanent cathedral can be constructed. The building features a triangular profile constructed from 98 equally sized cardboard tubes. These surround a colored glass window made from tessellating triangles, decorated with images from the original cathedral's rose window. The main hall has the capacity to accommodate up to 700 people for events and concerts, plus eight steel shipping containers house chapels and storage areas below. The construction of cathedral began last year. The cathedral had initially been scheduled to open in February, but was subject to a series of construction delays. "The strength of the building has nothing to do with the strength of the material," told architect. Even concrete buildings can be destroyed by earthquakes very easily. But paper buildings cannot be destroyed by earthquakes. It's also consistently low-cost. Shigeru Ban has used cardboard on a number of pavilions and structures in recent years, particularly on disaster relief projects. Other examples include a temporary gallery in Moscow with cardboard columns and a cardboard pavilion at the IE School of Architecture and Design in Madrid.

The first phase of the historic expansion of Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque in Makkah has opened in time to accommodate 400 thousand more worshippers this Ramadan, according to Arab News. Three floors of a newly constructed annex have been completed, as well as the northern, southern and western plazas of the mosque. The annex had been decorated with chandeliers and air-conditioning and water fountains had been installed for visitors. There are telephones for visitors to make inquiries about matters related to Umrah or other religious issues. Zamzam water taps have been installed in open plazas to supply cold water to visitors. The new annex's escalators have begun operating to facilitate movement of pilgrims and worshippers to upper floors. Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz laid the foundation stone for the historic expansion project of the Grand Mosque on August 19, 2011. Now the Grand Mosque, Islam's holiest site, is undergoing its largest ever expansion, worth US$ 21.3 billion, to increase its capacity to 2 million pilgrims. The entire expansion is expected to take several years.