The design of the Community of the Holy Spirit St. Hilda’s House, a new $4.1 million, 10,600-sf convent in Manhattan’s West Harlem neighborhood, reflects the inherent link between environmental consciousness and religious reverence. BKSK Architects and ICS Builders consulted with resident nuns to develop a design that propagates their desire to connect with the natural world while being environmentally sustainable. The four-story convent includes a chapel, community dining room and kitchen, silent dining room, offices, conference room, library, sitting room, art room, 12 cells and bedrooms, two guest rooms, and two green roofs. A solar hot water system and solar heat collectors save about 12,400 pounds of CO2e emissions a year.
Manhattan convent embodies religious and environmental doctrines
