Project profile: Immaculate Heart of Mary Motherhouse

When the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (SSIHM) recognized that their order was diminishing, they embarked on a collaborative, long-range planning process to determine the best way to achieve an ecologically responsible, 21st century community on their 280-acre site.

Many of the structures on their property were built in the 1930s and are historically significant, so any proposed rehabilitation required review by the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office. The design team met the complex programmatic challenge by utilizing the existing structures to best meet the housing, long-term care, and spiritual needs while achieving sustainable and preservation goals.
(2006 AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects recipient)