Felician Sisters Convent and School

• Adaptive Reuse
• Construction Waste Management
• Gold
• Grant Funding
• Historic
• LEED Certified
• Low Emitting Materials
• Mixed Used
• New Construction
• Recycled Materials
• Renovation
• Residential
• School
• Stormwater Mitigation
• Stormwater Reuse
• Suburban

The Franciscan nuns of the Felician Sisters Convent faced a dilemma: an aging physical plant, a population with an average age of 77, declining income, increasing expenses, and the desire to leave a legacy. The community lived in both a 1960s infirmary building and a 1930s motherhouse, which also housed the 300-student Our Lady of Sacred Heart High School. The Sisters decided to renovate the motherhouse and consolidate the community and school there.

The building was reconfigured into ten household clusters with individual rooms and private baths arrayed around a common living room, kitchen, and dining room. The high-school renovation enhanced technology, upgraded the classrooms and common spaces, and provided a new performing arts center, science labs, and library.

As followers of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of the environment, the Sisters view environmental stewardship as a responsibility. They were strongly committed to making the renovation environmentally responsible while preserving the building's historic architectural character.

Energy use is reduced through a well insulated envelope and high-performance glazing. Daylighting and operable windows provide a connection to the outdoors while reducing the need for electric lighting and mechanical ventilation. Efficient lights are controlled by occupancy sensors. Solar hot-water panels provide domestic hot water for the building.

Responding to the community's desire to preserve the building's historic features and conserve resources, the renovation incorporated an extensive amount of existing building features. New materials were selected for their recycled content, sustainable harvesting, and low emissions.

Green strategies also extended to the building site. Several acres of lawn were restored to meadowland in order to promote animal habitats, and rainwater is collected and used both for landscape irrigation and as make-up water for the evaporative cooler.

Owned and occupied by Felician Sisters of Pennsylvania, Corporation, nonprofit
Typically occupied by 455 people; and 85 visitors per week