Hamden, CT

The landscape design for this hilltop campus accentuates its unique location by framing and maintaining spectacular nearly 360-degree views.

Richter & Cegan worked closely with the University’s architect on the development of the York Hill Campus. Projects include the Athletic Center, numerous residential hall projects including Crescent, West View, East View, and the Townhouses Residence Halls, the Rocky Top Student Center, parking garage and wind farm, as well as campus access, circulation, and overall landscape improvements. An understanding of campus-wide design standards and master planning issues is a key component to all of these projects.

The 250-acre York Hill Campus is built on a hilltop with views towards Long Island Sound and the City of New Haven. Located less than one mile from the main Mount Carmel Campus, it features the 185,000 square foot Athletic Center, numerous residence halls for undergraduate students, a Student Center, and 2,000-car parking garage. The Rocky Top Student Center is centrally located among the residence halls with a landscape design that accentuates its hilltop location by framing and maintaining spectacular views for nearly 360-degrees.

The York Hill Campus features a wind terrace of 25 vertical-axis turbines that power site lighting and roof top solar panels. Other sustainable site initiatives include a bio-detention pond, a green roof terrace, rainwater collection, and native meadows and landscaping to reduce water consumption. Access to the hilltop campus is via a curving drive lined with native plantings of trees and meadows and carefully designed openings to maintain viewsheds. Specimen plantings continue the informal arboretum concept initiated on the Mount Carmel Campus.