expansive yale-NUS campus completed by pelli clarke pelli architects in singapore

‘yale-NUS college’ is a new institution created jointly by yale and the national university of singapore. the first liberal arts college in the country, it offers four-year undergraduate degrees on a campus that integrates learning and living in one. american firm pelli clarke pelli architects was placed in charge of design; their work is comprised of a central campus green, which is flanked by academic and administrative buildings as well as three residential colleges, each arranged around its own courtyard.

all images © jeff goldberg/esto, courtesy of PCP architects

the contemporary campus is characterized by a unique combination of american ivy league and southeast asian cultures, as well as the location’s tropical climate. the heart of ‘yale-NUS’ is a lush garden arboretum with six heritage trees and an eco-pond that captures and filters rainwater. at the entrance, glass-box stairwells and a colonnade are topped with a massive, inward-sloped roof that drains into a circular reflection pool directly below. upon entering, the learning commons building comes into view, sitting directly across the central courtyard at the site’s highest elevation.

central courtyard looking north

east and west of the courtyard are core buildings, accessible by sun-and-rain screened walkways. the three residential colleges, where students live and learn amongst their peers and professors, are located to the north. each tower includes classrooms, faculty and student residences, administrative offices, a dining hall, and a private, enclosed courtyard. to reinforce the distinct identities of the three schools, each building’s interior design varies slightly.

courtyard 

the ‘yale-NUS’ campus was designed to achieve the highest rating under the building and construction authority’s green mark for sustainable design in singapore. in addition to visible strategies such as the eco-pond and natural ventilation, the school integrates advanced building systems for energy efficiency.

residential sky terrace 

saga college connection walkway, looking towards east core complex

view of agora building, eastern core of campus

alternate view of agora

the learning commons main stairway

learning commons study/reading area 

dining hall

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edited by: nick brink | designboom