Morse & Ezra Stiles College

Designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1962, the Morse and Ezra Stiles Colleges are part of Yale University’s residential college system. Kieran Timberlake and Marguerite Rodgers addressed significant improvements to the iconic buildings, maintaining the historic modernist exterior, while rendering the interior spaces brighter, accommodating, comfortable, and pleasant for student life and activities. The new interior configuration moved away from the isolation of single rooms to a mix of suites that encourage social interaction yet still offer privacy. Dining halls and libraries are upgraded, and common spaces — café, lounge, gallery, game room, and cooking areas — are transformed. The intervention respected existing material and old forms yet was strategic with a new purpose. Additionally, the hardscape courtyards are reimagined into green areas for recreation. Highly unusual for a restoration project, the outcome of the renewal received an Institute Honor Award from the AIA in 2013. 

  • Architecture: KieranTimberlake
  • Photography: Richard Barnes / OTTO
Modern lounge with stone pillars, brown sofas, gray and red chairs, geometric tile floor, and a staircase. Black chandeliers hang from the ceiling. A person sits near the stairs, and colorful rectangular wall art decorates the space. Natural light enters from windows.
Large, sunlit library with high ceilings, geometric beams, and stone walls. People sit at wooden tables, reading or using laptops. Tall windows line the left side, creating bright, natural lighting throughout the spacious, modern room.
A modern lounge with wooden floors, circular tables, and cushioned chairs. Three people sit at a corner table, while one person sits alone facing away. The room has white walls, geometric ceiling, and red and black seating along the walls.