Situated on a narrow site bounded by a sidewalk and a major sports field, this intervention proposes a collection of three small pavilions to be built along the edge between the CMU sports field and Margaret Morrison neighborhood. Each pavilion, serving both as a shelter for sports bleachers and other public functions, helps transform the existing unused sidewalk into a human-scaled small scale neighborhood.

Due to the narrow site footprint and the presence of large existing trees on the site, a suspension structural system was proposed for the pavilions and canopies to minimize disturbances near the roots of the trees due to excavation. Relying on a single row of steel piers placed as far as possible from the trunk and core roots of the trees, the roofs of the canopies are suspended above the ground plane while a raised cast-in-place concrete floor deck serves as a structural counterweight for the tension system. The structure is fabricated from recycled steel from local vendors, saving carbon on manufacturing and transportation energy and allowing the pavilion to become an example of responsible and carbon-conscious sourcing and usage of steel. The strength of steel allows the structural members to dematerialize, blending the properties of EPIC’s product into the design as people experience the space.