French Broad Abbey is a monastery located in Asheville, NC, designed for Trappist Monks. Focusing on the human scale and the minimalistic way of life of the monks, the project focused on the design of the dormitories. 

In monastic life, the cell or dormitory is considered a sacred place because it is the place where by “God’s grace experienced in prayer”, the monk is transformed into a new creation”. Ultimately, the cell is the place where the monks connect with God individually, before and after having done so with those in their community.