Yale Schwarzman Center

The Schwarzman Center at Yale University is a LEED Gold-certified historic renovation that stands as the latest example of the University’s strong commitment to sustainability and high performance building design.

As the geographic center of campus and social hub, the historic Schwarzman Center is dedicated to the cultural programming and student life of Yale University. Atelier Ten guided the design of the building to reduce the energy and water consumption and increase thermal and visual comfort for future occupants.

A key feature of the renovation included the design of the Grove Street Addition to the north side of the building. However, the addition resulted in the loss of daylight to the hisotric Commons. To minimize the loss, multiple iterations of daylight analysis were studied to optimize the glazing and skylight configuration. In addition, Atelier Ten tested varying materiality and configurations of the fenestration to enhance the levels of average annual illuminance. The suggested design resulted in creating a comfortable, naturally-lit space in the new addition, while persevering daylight to the Commons.

Atelier Ten worked closely with the design team to recommend water use reduction strategies for the outdoor landscape and indoor water fixtures. Inside of the building, the implementation of low-flow lavatories reduced the indoor water use by 41%. For the outdoor landscape, an updated water irrigation system and planting of drought tolerant foliage aided in the achievement of a 66% water savings. These reductions contributed to earning the building’s LEED Gold certification.

In addition, the exterior courtyard features marble paving. Rather than replacing the pavers in this substantial area, Atelier Ten recommended to refurbish and reuse the marble slabs, reducing the embodied carbon.