Kripalu Center - Facility

Facility

Kripalu's 350 acres (140 ha), include forests, lawns, gardens, and access to Lake Mahkeenac or the Stockbridge Bowl. Conservation easements on 225 of the acres were granted in 1997 using funds from the U.S. Forest Legacy Program.

Kripalu's principal 160,000-square-foot (15,000 m2) building was constructed by the Jesuits in 1957 to replace the Gilded Age mansion "Shadowbrook Cottage," destroyed by fire in 1956. Jesuits acquired the former estate in 1922 as a novitiate, but moved away in 1970.

A $15 million, six-story housing annex with 80 guest rooms, completed in 2010 and designed by architect Peter Rose incorporates sustainable design elements and won a 2010 award for specialized housing from the American Institute of Architects The institute commented on the building's interior natural lighting, and noted that the architectural design and climate control systems are integrated and consume 40 percent less energy than a conventional building. Rose also developed a master plan for increasing the center's capacity and developing it into "a model of environmental responsibility" through improvements to existing buildings, landscaping, and new construction.

The Kripalu Center formerly operated its own water supply. Groundwater from onsite wells was used for its water supply source, supplemented by water purchased from the Lenox water department. There were regulatory agency concerns about the water supply's potential vulnerability to contamination, and as of 2009 the center's water supply had been converted to rely solely on purchased water obtained from surface water sources.