Skylight System in Devon Yard | Kingspan Light + Air

Kingspan Light + Air is a manufacturer of innovative daylighting and natural ventilation solutions, supporting efficiency, style, and safety while prioritizing sustainability and community impact. QuadSpan™ was used at the new Devon Yard in Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA.

When designing the new Devon Yard, NewStudio Architecture was challenged to create a "light and airy greenhouse feel" for occupants while meeting strict local energy codes. More than a conventional shopping mall, Devon Yard is retail brand Anthropologie's first ever "lifestyle center," built near its original 1992 retail store.

Incorporating local materials, including Pennsylvania field stone and reclaimed barnwood, was important to the brand known for its homey and rustic, modern farmhouse decor. But, architect Erin Grammas, NewStudio Architecture, St. Paul, knew she couldn't exclusively use a standing-seam, metal barn roof for the project. Luckily, NewStudio had partnered with Kingspan Light + Air on previous projects when they needed to meet energy codes and found a solution using their QuadSpan™ lighting system.

NewStudio met the challenge with 2,680 square feet of QuadSpan™ skylight system in the two main interior/exterior spaces at the heart of the lifestyle center. The system provides a welcoming and airy atmosphere to offset the areas with a standing seam metal roof, while significantly reducing glare and added heat, and diffusing natural daylight indoors.

Kingspan's ice-white glazed, two-panel QuadSpan™ translucent skylight system is constructed so that panels are independent of one another, but also mechanically connected to the system's internal support structure. This removable skin technology (RST) feature ensures that if there is a future need to update the exterior, those panels can be changed without interrupting ongoing business operations while maintaining the integrity of the system. The flexibility to replace individual panels as needed, rather than the entire system, makes QuadSpan™ extremely versatile and significantly increases its lifespan.

Devon Yard opened in September 2018 next to the iconic Devon Horse Show grounds, and quickly became a local town center. From exposed beams to the QuadSpan™ and standing seam metal roof combination, this unusual space came to life through extensive coordination between a team of structural engineers, architects and the Kingspan Light + Air team.

Anchored by a flagship Anthropologie retail store, Devon Yard boasts five structures, featuring two fine eateries, a home/garden shop and more. Brought together around a central courtyard, with a style suggestive of both pastoral farmhouses and modern greenhouses.