After considering various facility options, the Sisters decided to responsibly deconstruct their campus’ existing retirement facility, Ross Hall, and rebuild it were it once stood. The newly designed Ross Hall provides numerous upgrades over the existing facility, which included no sprinkler system, narrow hallways, bedrooms and bathing rooms too undersized for assistive devices, and a lack of community spaces.

The new facility accommodates 45-47 Sisters organized into three households. Two house 18-20 Sisters each while the third offers nine rooms to care for Sisters with dementia. Each household contains community space, bathing rooms, an area for support staff, and a covered drive ideal for dropping off and picking up sisters in a safe environment. A screen porch and Four Seasons room is located on each floor, along with Activity and Parlor spaces. Outdoor spaces that had previously been difficult and hazardous for the Sisters to use were enhanced and enlarged, providing greater accessibility.

Many sustainable features were incorporated into the project including a green roof and patio located off the dementia household to provide a secure outdoor space. High-performance HVAC and lighting systems were included to maximize efficiency, and low VOC (volatile organic compounds) adhesives and paints as well as other finish materials with high amounts of recycled content were specified. Water capture is incorporated into the site for irrigation purposes and a large solar field set over an existing parking lot offsets energy use