Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother
Franciscan Courts
Oshkosh, WI
IN BRIEF:
- 20 Skilled Nursing Units
- 20 Assisted Living Units
- 6 Independent Living Units
- 8 Guest Suites
THE CHALLENGE:
Looking to consilodate three under-utilized sites for improved cost efficiency, the Franciscan Order of Sisters created the following challenge for our design team:
- Transform all multiple bed units to private rooms
- Add new senior housing options to the existing skilled nursing campus
- Integrate a neighborhood configuration throughout the CCRC
- Develop a new town square to connect all components
- Create a new conference center with guest suites for visiting lecturers
- Add multi-dimensional wellness center
- Integrate sustainable building practices into the design to show sensitivity to the environment
THE SOLUTION:
Comments from the Client
"Thank you for the graceful way in which you shared your creativity with us..."
- Sister Dorothy Ann
"Thank you for all your creative ideas and the gentle way that you respond to each member of our design committee..."
- Sister Judith Beck
It was the philosophy of the international Franciscan order that Sisters in their retirement be nurtured in a homelike environment that provided a sacred, feminine and creatively beautiful atmosphere with opportunity for peaceful reflection.
A campus gateway was created in a new entrance and town square to connect all the neighborhoods. Upon arrival, a soft curving reception desk provides an inviting welcome in a lobby with varying ceiling heights and towering windows offering opportunity for friends to visit while observing the beautiful outdoor courtyard and fountain. Areas such as the coffee bistro, reflection pool, fireplace lounges, activity kitchens and wellness center offer multiple points of choice for residents to gather and enjoy each other’s company.
A spiritual campus, visitors to the chapel and memorial alcove experience a feeling of awe and inspiration from the cascading water wall which brings remembrance of baptism to the stained glass windows offering daily reminders of the values and heritage of the Franciscan Order.
In addition to upgrading finishes for the changing times, this project tapped into new technology for the conference center, utilizing advanced technology to access international lecturers and religious orders abroad while housing up to 100 attendees locally.
Case Study - See the Transformation
To better understand the transformation of this project, review these before and after photographs, floor plans and interior renderings.