This 160,000 square foot, 19.5 M, substantial renovation project, was a collaborative effort from the start, with the areas of work including the high school, convent, chapel, and courtyard. Sota Construction Services Inc. was chosen as the general contractor, with the Sisters included in every step of the decision making process.

The architectural plans, three years in the making, alllowed for new, accessible, residence rooms, and a new school layout. The redesigned courtyard spaces provide an appealing area for students and also allow the Sisters much needed direct access from the building.

The coordination of the new mechanical and electrical systems with the existing window heights and building structure was a challenge that was met. The new systems were routed to preserve the original ceiling heights and to maximize daylight penetration.

The project is a LEED registered project with a gold rating target. Green construction elements included significant reuse of existing materials, specification of recycled content materials, recycling of on-site construction waste. and specification of sustainable furniture.

Besides the reuse of over 300 doors and transoms, miles of wood trim and 1 acre of wood flooring, all of the new partitions were built using recycled metal studs, recycled drywall made from fly-ash and recycled mineral wool sound insulation.

Extensive interviews with the Sisters regarding the occupancy schedule of the various spaces allowed the HVAC system to be reduced by 45 tons. High efficiency water source heat pumps were used with energy recovery units on the roof to provide fresh air and recover energy from the exhausted air. The building exceeds ASHRAE 90.1 for energy efficiency by 35% providing significant long term savings and environmental benefits. DOE 2 modeling of various alternatives was used to evaluate thermal improvements. The over 900 windows in the building are used to maximize natural lighting of the spaces. White reflective TPO roofing was used to minimize heat island effect and to reduce load. A direct digital control system will provide setback and monitoring of the hvac units.Waste heat from kitchen refrigeration will be input into the heat pump water loop. Photocells in the classrooms will turn off lights when natural light is present.

But most important, the Sisters have stated their satisfaction with the project and in fact have reported better health on the part of those suffering respiratory ailments.

Interior, prior to project start.

Selective demolition phase.