Sculpture Building and Gallery, Yale University

Atelier Ten helped jump this fast-track project from Yale’s Silver standard to LEED Platinum, a first for the University and Connecticut. In 2011, Atelier Ten successfully conducted Verification services in partnership with Kieran Timberlake that recalibrated the energy model to correlate with the greatly increased building occupancy and on site weather data.

During the design phase, Atelier Ten worked with the design team to reduce regulated energy use by over 40%, compared to the baseline, in this four story building and adjoining one story gallery. Energy savings start with the innovative façade, which uses external shading, coupled with a high-performance curtainwall to permit full daylighting to all student work areas with little consequent solar gain or heat loss, providing occupants with high degree of visual and thermal comfort. A displacement ventilation system, evaporative cooling, efficient boilers, and a heat recovery air handling unit contribute further energy savings and ensure thermal comfort. Water consumption is reduced by 46% through captured rainwater, which is stored in a 5,000 gallon tank to provide water to the project’s low-flush toilets.

After the building was occupied, the utility data for the first two years showed that the building was being used much more intensively than originally anticipated due to changes in building schedule and significant use during the summer months. Atelier Ten helped the University track lighting, equipment, and systems use to understand if the building was operating as it was intended. This process identified how increased equipment use for metal and wood shops affected the building energy profile and that there were hidden equipment failures within the HVAC system. A specific corrective action plan was created to address HVAC system operations and reduced the utility use by at least 50%.