Yale Sculpture Building and Gallery

Photo credit: © Peter Aaron/Esto

Materials & Resources

The Sculpture Building's aesthetic was derived entirely from the desire for superior environmental performance. As seen against Yale’s gothic structures beyond, the building has an elegant contemporary gothic fenestration that mitigates solar gain. The interior spaces feature utilitarian, unfinished surfaces with exposed steel structures, designed to inspire and support the creative activity demanded by the program. Columns and beams are all narrow eight-inch-wide flange sections, with beams lapping over girders in a simple yet eloquent woven pattern. Flexible light fixtures mounted to continuous tracks and the fire-suppression system piping completes the exposed three-dimensional plaid assemblage of building systems.

The sunscreens on the Gallery are made of reclaimed cedar. Measured by cost, 42% of all materials were manufactured within 500 miles of the project site; of these, 93% were manufactured using raw materials harvested within 500 miles of the site. Collection and storage facilities have been provided to facilitate post-occupancy recycling.

Diversion of Construction & Demolition Waste

During construction, 92% of the total building waste was recycled.

Green Products Used

• IEQ Monitoring
• PVC-free Thermoplastic Olefin Interior Shade Screening

Design for Adaptability to Future Uses

The studio building was conceived as a loft to remain as flexible as possible. The first floor houses an array of metal, wood, digital fabrication, and paint shops along with office and classroom space. The upper three floors are flexible and can be divided to suit the needs of the inhabitants. To support this, the project team designed the infrastructure so that nothing would need to be moved to allow modification of the interior. The internal organization of the studio building corresponds to the 2.5-foot module of the curtainwall mullions, and the lighting fixtures allow for flexibility of fixture types to support the needs of architecture students and remain effective for end users. Because the building was intended to serve as a swing space for the first year of occupancy, the design minimizes the amount of renovation required to accommodate its permanent residents.

Green Strategies

• Reusable Components
  • Use materials with integral finish
• Design for Materials Use Reduction
  • Consider exposing structural materials as finished surfaces
• Job Site Recycling
  • Investigate local infrastructure for recycling
• Salvaged Materials
  • Use salvaged wood for finish carpentry
• Transportation of Materials
  • Prefer materials that are sourced and manufactured within the local area

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Our thanks to the ENERGY STAR program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and to the U.S. Department of Energy, and to BuildingGreen, Inc. for hosting the submission and judging forms.

For more information about the AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Projects, contact AIA/COTE. For help on how to use this Web site, contact .