The Living Village adopts a primary feature of the courtyards commonly found across Yale: the gateway. The historic gateway marks the entry into a Yale courtyard while providing an intimate interstitial circulation space. The West Portal of the Living Village functions in a similar way to signal a formal arrival sequence and to provide visual connection to the central courtyard and beyond, rendering the Living Village open and welcoming to all. Furthermore, the welcoming gesture of the West Portal is reinforced with the placement of a community space on the second level where the daily activities behind the glass facade activate the elevation and strengthen the social and community nature of the West Portal.
In addition to functionality, the articulation of the West Portal references the tectonics and materiality of the historic porticos of the pavilions on the existing YDS Quadrangle, as well as the other historic gateways on the Yale campus. In the pavilions’ porticos, the exterior elevation is expressed in red bricks while the interior is articulated with white-painted brick walls and black painted architectural detailing. Similarly, the West Portal is designed to be clad in white terracotta while the glass area on the second level is articulated with black metal detailing. The custom profile of the white terracotta references the embrasure articulation in the historic gateways on the Yale campus.
Prospect Street Entrance & Drop Off
This entrance to the campus will provide a one-way driveway that will facilitate vehicular access from Prospect Street with an exit to Canner Street. A drop-off location is provided at the northwest corner of the Village and has a modest amount of visitor and accessible parking. This will keep vehicular circulation at the edge of the Village, prioritizing the core for pedestrians. Designed to reference a New England woodland, the mixed plantings will condense and open up around the roadway, framing key entrances and destinations, while reinforcing a grounded, intimate landscape type.
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