Kroon Hall, the new home for the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, is an ultra-green building targeting LEED Platinum. Meant to serve as teaching tools for the students within, the sustainable initiatives are on display where possible, but some—such as the creation of courtyards for students to gather and study outdoors—are more about good planning.
The building has large skylights that admit daylight and also expose the rooftop photovoltaic system. Translucent enough to still allow light to filter through, the 100-kilowatt array provides 25 percent of the energy for the building, the rest of which will be purchased from sustainable sources.Skylight Wasco Skylight Products Custom skylight system wascoskylights.comCeiling Beams Goodlam, a division of Goodfellow Structural red oak glulam beams goodfellowinc.comDoors Builders’ Hardware Custom doors builders-hardware.net
The east and west ends of the building feature a metal and glass curtain wall shaded by laminated Douglas fir arches and louvers to prevent glare and heat gain. The main entrance is actually on the second floor—the first floor is inset into a hill, and only the south side has access to a colonnade and courtyard.Curtain Wall Kawneer North America Custom metal and glass curtain wall kawneer.comSunshading Goodlam, a division of Goodfellow Douglas fir arch and louvers goodfellowinc.comRoofing Follansbee Roofing Sloped metal roofing follansbeeroofing.com
In an effort to use local materials and aesthetically link the modern building with the neighboring Collegiate Gothic stone structures on campus, the architects turned to sandstone. Windows along this south facade are either deeply inset into precast concrete—a mixture in which 50 percent of the required cement was replaced with ground granulated blast-furnace slag, to recycle waste material and reduce CO2 emissionsÑor sunshaded to reduce heat gain while still maximizing daylight and views.Concrete Rex Precast Systems Precast concrete rexprecast.comMasonry The Briar Hill Stone Co. Sandstone masonry briarhillstone.comPhotovoltaics SunPower Model 225 solar photovoltaic panel us.sunpowercorp.com
A student center at the west end of the third floor provides space for individual or group study. The space is differentiated from the rest of the largely open floor by a change in flooring—from modular carpet tile to hardwood. One-third of the wood used in the building came from Yale's own sustainably run forests, and serves as a good in-house example of green practices for the students in the forestry program.Tables Fairhaven Furniture Custom tables fairhaven-furniture.comBuilding management system and HVAC controls Automated Logic Corp. Customized building management software system automatedlogic.com
The large open volume on the third floor is split into several sections. Two smaller classrooms are enclosed in a volume along the south wall, with a break out area with cafe tables on the north side. A student center and auditorium anchor the ends. Windows are operable to allow natural ventilation into the space, and lights at each window indicate whether the central HVAC system (which runs air in an under-floor plenum) is operating. The system is turned off during the mild spring and fall seasons to reduce energy usage.Side Chairs Kusch Co. Luca chairs kusch.comLighting Controls Sensor Switch nLight control system sensorswitch.com
A study area on the south face of the building's ground floor looks out onto a colonnade and courtyard that students can use as an outdoor study and socializing area during the warmer months. Previously occupied by parking lots and a gas power plant, the new outdoor space better connects with the other campus buildings. Operable windows allow natural ventilation and communication back and forth between students inside and out.Carpet InterfaceFLOR Menagerie modular carpet tiles interfaceflor.comWindows Marvin Windows and Doors Custom windows marvin.comLounge seating B1 sofa Bernhardt Design bernhardtdesign.com
A central staircase and lightwell allow light from the third floor skylights to reach the office corridors on the third floor. Natural light is maximized and supplemented by energy-efficient fixtures such as Gammalux downlights and occupancy and light level sensors by Sensor Switch.Downlights Gammalux Systems GR4B-132T8 interior downlight gammalux.comWall Finishes Legere Woodworking 100 percent FSC-certified wall paneling legeregroup.com
Kroon Hall has several types of classrooms to accommodate different styles of courses. This auditorium has theater seating and acoustic material behind red oak slats along the back wall to prevent sound reverberation. The Douglas fir–laminated louvers on the exterior admit daylight while at the same time reducing glare.Sunshading MechoShade Systems ElectroShade system for motorized shades mechoshade.comMillwork Legere Woodworking Cabinetwork and custom woodwork legeregroup.com
A classroom on the third floor features power at every seat so students can plug in their laptops. An LCD projector is set up for PowerPoint and video presentations.Wall Washer Light Fixtures Winona Lighting P5 wall-mount wall washing fixture winonalighting.comSteel Capco Steel Structural steel with up to 95 percent recycled content capcosteelco.com
