Yale Divinity School plans to break ground on Oct. 11 on a new environmentally-friendly zero-carbon residence hall.
The facility, called the “Living Village,” will be built on a current parking lot, and it is slated to open in August 2025.
The project has been designed to meet the standards of the Living Building Challenge, an international certification system that promotes sustainable design and construction.
Yale President Peter Salovey said he anticipates the new facility will set an example for schools worldwide.
“For the next generation to have the opportunity to thrive on a healthy planet, institutions like Yale must take bold steps, of which the Living Village is one,” Salovey said in an announcement.
J. Mike Bellamy, Yale’s vice president for facilities, campus development and sustainability, said Yale is working to change the way it generates and uses energy across campus.
Its goal, according to Bellamy, is to be at net-zero emissions by 2035 and to produce zero actual emissions by 2050.
“Using the Living Village as a case study will help inform future projects at Yale and beyond,” Bellamy said.
After the facility opens in August 2025, there are plans for additional units in a second phase of construction, according to Yale.
The new building is designed to have features such as a net positive carbon, energy and water footprint, and construction that uses recycled and “environmentally benign materials,” the university said.
Bruner/Cott Architects of Boston is leading the design team, with contributions from firms such as Höweler + Yoon Architecture and Andropogon Associates. Living Building Challenge founder Jason F. McLennan is a consultant to the project.