The Twisted Boardwalk

“The Twisted Boardwalk” was our final project for our Structural Design Studio, which described a pavilion to be built in Waterloo Park. The pavilion would serve the Waterloo community and serve as a landmark. As a best case scenario, it would encourage community gathering and even be used as a performance space during the warmer months.

We placed our pavilion by Silver Lake and integrated it into the proposed boardwalk, which was not built at the time. Mimicking the material of the boardwalk onto the pavilion, our group extended the idea of the boardwalk into twist, which formed our pavilion. Different elevations along the floor of the pavilion allowed for various seating and performance arrangements. Additionally, the slatting of the wood provided partial shading and movement of light through the space.

This pavilion was built using mass timber; specifically glulam. Cross bracing was implemented between the larger elements to carry lateral loads.