Boston, MA—November 20, 2007— Shawmut Design and Construction, an $800 million general contracting and construction management firm, recently completed the 55,000 square foot renovation of the new Sculpture Building at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut in time for the start of the fall semester. The project, designed by architectural firm Kieran Timberlake Associates LLP, was completed on an extremely aggressive schedule. Fourteen months after groundbreaking, students and faculty began to occupy portions of the complex and three months thereafter it was fully completed. This was the first-ever fast-tracked project on the Yale campus.
The environmentally designed and constructed four-story Sculpture Building includes "loft-like" studio spaces, classrooms, craft shops, faculty and administrative offices, and a new single-floor, stand-alone, 3,000 square foot student exhibition gallery. The building has an exposed steel frame structure with a glass, double-skin, naturally ventilated curtain wall. The gallery was constructed as a stone clad, steel frame structure with a sub-grade connection to the Sculpture Building with mezzanine space that will be used to display year-end shows, ongoing exhibitions, and occasional lectures. The project also included the construction of a 134,000 square foot cast-in-place post-tension parking garage. The new, five-story parking garage contains approximately 288 parking spaces and 9,000 square feet of street front retail and office space.
Yale’s pursuit of becoming the “greenest” university was at the forefront of this endeavor and the building recently was awarded LEED® Platinum Certification. Environmental initiatives for the project include a displacement air ventilation system, green roof, grey water and storm water harvesting, and solar hot water system. Numerous windows and occupancy sensors were installed throughout the building, significantly cutting back on energy usage. Over 89% of the project’s construction waste was recycled while locally harvested materials were used whenever possible.
“The initiative that Yale has taken on this project to ensure a minimal impact on the environment, while providing for students, staff, faculty, and visitors, is amazing. Shawmut was thrilled to have been such an integral part of this sustainable building project, and looks forward to other clients utilizing similar foresight, as the features implemented in the Sculpture Building will most surely become the norm in the near future,” said Frank Hayes, Managing Director of New England Business for Shawmut Design and Construction.
The new building is sensitive to the community through its contribution to the urban development of the city of New Haven. On the edge of campus, this project blends perfectly with institutional Yale University on one side and the residential architecture of its Hillhouse Avenue neighbors on the other. The Sculpture Building is a “glass lantern” that draws in students, faculty, and the community. With its sweeping steel frame covered glass curtain wall and ochre-toned limestone, the building allows a considerable amount of light to flow into the studios and classrooms. At night, the building’s glow illuminates the surrounding area, creating a sense of openness and approachability.
