Austin-Smith:Lord was commissioned to design a new monastery for the Carmelite Sisters in Liverpool. The layout embodies the daily cycle of prayer, manual labour, communal mealtimes and private reflection.
The design is a modern interpretation of the monastic tradition. Silence and light articulates the architecture which is calm, ordered and uplifting.
The community includes a chapel, cloister, refectory, community room, library, workspaces, guest house, 24 cells, 2 hermitage cells and 6 fully accessible infirmary cells. As a home it is comfortable and modest, befitting the Carmelite philosophy.
Many architects were considered for this project and following an extensive selection process, Austin-Smith:Lord were chosen as a firm who embodied the vision, skill and standards of service that were a key requirement of the project. We have worked very closely with Austin-Smith:Lord over three years and have found their innovation in design refreshing, the attention to detail meticulous and the support and ability to work with other design team members refreshing.