Laura Nettleton has been working for the Felician Sisters for over 15 years. The Felician community is shrinking and they have consolidated into a new headquarters: Our Lady of Hope Provincial Center. Originally an elementary school, the 50,000 square foot building had been converted into apartments. Built around a courtyard, the project now contains about a dozen offices, conference rooms, a chapel, and convent space.
The design team made the courtyard an area of focus and redesigned the barren space into a central outdoor room, creating an inside-outside connection for the Center. Cabinets, HVAC equipment, doors, and trim were all salvaged. The roof and shell were insulated with spray foam and new windows were installed.
One of the greatest challenges for the project was the extremely aggressive schedule. The design began in May and the Sisters hoped to move into it in December. The Sisters moved into the structure at the end of January.