SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH

Opened in 2014, this residence is a winning example of what living well in retirement can look like

“How can we take care of ourselves, and take care of each other?” A decade ago the Sisters of St. Joseph, an order of Catholic nuns in Toronto, began working on a new home for their order, and those two questions shaped their their thinking about the project. The result was a 58-room facility, designed by the prominent firm Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, that could serve as a retirement home for the sisters and provide high-quality care as the group aged.

And the facility has done just that, said Sister Marcella Iredale, who has lived there since it opened nine years ago and has been a member of the order since 1950. The building “really lends itself to some people’s need for privacy,” Sister Marcella said, “and it also lends itself to people’s need to be together.”

The residence occupies a site overlooking the Don Valley just outside downtown Toronto. Seen from the air, the building forms an “S,” curving its way from west to east. The northern, valley-facing side is clad in an iridescent brick. On the south side, which faces a residential street, a layer of glass hides behind protruding fins that provide a degree of shading and visual privacy. Windows on both sides of the building open, allowing outside breezes to pass through and move stale air out of the building.

On the main floor, a spectacular glass-walled chapel is the literal and metaphorical centre of the community. Next to the chapel, a series of lounges welcomes nuns and visitors to linger and chat, or perhaps read a mystery novel while enjoying a view of the valley or the two fountains that burble outside the windows. “The idea was about building community,” explains architect Brigitte Shim of Shim-Sutcliffe, “both together and as smaller groups within the whole.” Built-in benches beneath the windows provide ample space to sit down – a critical point, as Shim points out, for an aging population.

Three levels above contain private rooms where the sisters live. Each unit is about 270 square feet, and contains a high-ceilinged bedroom area with a window that opens, bringing in fresh air; an accessible bathroom; and a compact sitting area with a small window, framed in white oak, which can open onto the corridor to allow for conversation. This is a carefully calibrated model for the life of a nun, which involves both solitary contemplation and collective prayer as well as the occasional movie night.

The top two floors are devoted to sisters who need significant care. The community of sisters has shrunk slightly, and six of the original dwelling rooms have been repurposed. But Sister Marcella reports that the vision of the building remains largely intact. Her favourite part of the structure, however, is the large windows that allow her to see what’s outside: the lush garden behind the building and the forested valley beyond. “You can see the birds and the flowers, and the fall colours are amazing,” she says. “But some people prefer to sit out front and see what’s happening on the street.” Even a life of contemplation benefits from staying in touch with the outside world.