Learning Pavilion

The Learning Pavilion, located at the northwest corner of a public elementary school campus, was initiated by a PTO after a storm felled a large oak and the shaded deck beneath it, leaving fifth graders without a place for waiting before and after school. The 1,600-sf pavilion facilitates not just waiting but also learning and playing during the school day: perimeter steps serve as seating; an amphitheater of built-in benches and tables supports instruction; and an open deck provides space for running, jumping, and other activities. Outside school hours, the pavilion is a park adaptable for community needs such as scout meetings, parties, and picnics. The structure was built with economical materials—off-the-shelf pressure-treated pine and pre-galvanized steel—with screwed and bolted connections, allowing for easy repair and ensuring durability for decades.

“It shows the thoughtfulness of architecture and how intimate it can be—the idea behind the project and that it is in service of an age constituency that doesn’t have a lot of agency. This pavilion allows them to have a certain level of freedom that is only provided because of the way it was designed.”

—Germane Barnes, RA