New Haven, Conn. — Yale Divinity School (YDS) will break ground on Wednesday, Oct. 11, on a building that is unprecedented in American higher education: a living-building residence hall that will house students in a way that gives back to the environment more than it takes.

“The Living Village” is designed to meet the exacting standards of the Living Building Challenge (LBC), an international certification system that promotes sustainable design and construction. The project aims to make a moral and theological statement about the need for constructing buildings that are in harmony with nature in a time of climate crisis. The facility is scheduled to open in August 2025, with additional units planned in a second phase of construction.

Read the full press release at the Yale Divinity School website.