Hobson & Porter, Innovation based on tradition

The new nunnery designed by McNeil Beechey O'Neill Architects was built for members of the Carmelite Sisters.

The purpose-built convent in Thicket Priory in Thorganby near York is set around two courtyards. The north courtyard is surrounded by the chapel, meeting room, flats for guests and parlours. The south courtyard has 15 cells or bedrooms, a library and IT suite, communal rooms and dining rooms, and private meditation and work rooms.

The nunnery incorporates ground-source heat pumps for hot water and underfloor heating; roof-mounted solar panels; and a sedum-covered roof to conserve energy in the winter and cool the building in the summer. The building was completed in June 2009.