Yale University’s Lewis Walpole Library in Farmington, Conn., is an internationally recognized research institute for 18th century British literature and art. It is also the primary center for the study of Horace Walpole, the English man of letters. The library houses more than 32,000 book and manuscript collections that cover all aspects of 18th century British culture.
Wilmarth Sheldon Lewis, a scholar of Walpole, and his wife, Annie Burr Lewis, donated the collection along with their farmstead to Yale University in 1980, upon which it was officially named a department of the Yale University Library. The Walpole Library is located approximately 40 miles (60 km) from Yale’s main campus in New Haven, Conn.
A new freestanding addition to the library created room for storage while providing a spacious work area for students and staff. The project utilized TCS II terne-coated stainless- steel roof panels by Follansbee Steel, Follansbee, W.Va., which lends a distinctive appearance to the prestigious building. TCS II met the aesthetic requirements of the architect, who desired a material with a gray patina that was natural-weathering, long-lasting and lead-free. The new roof complements the addition, which was designed to look like a barn recalling the Connecticut tradition of connected farm buildings. The project used approximately 9,700 square feet (901 m2) of the TCS II panels installed as a double-lock standing-seam roof and was additionally used for the structure’s gutters and leaders.
The new 12,000-square-foot (1,115-m2) building was designed and constructed in accordance with the U. S. Green Building Council standards in order to meet LEED requirements. The metal roof contributes to the sustainable aspects of the project, including heating and cooling from an energy-efficient geothermal heat pump system and storm water runoff that will be retained on-site, resulting in no additional burden on municipal storm water systems.
Centerbrook Architects, Centerbrook, Conn., was the project architect; PAC Group LLC, Harwinton, Conn., was the general contractor; and R&S Construction Services, Middlebury, Conn., was the installer. Petersen Aluminum Corp., Elk Grove Village, Ill., was the distributor.
