This gazebo is the first project undertaken by the new Lafayette student chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. This group was founded in the fall of 2010 to help promote green architecture and sustainable structural design at Lafayette and in the Easton community. The concept for the gazebo grew out of discussions with Jenn Bell and its goal is to provide a recreational and community gathering point for workers and visitors at Lafayette’s Organic Garden.

The original plans (created by Lafayette students) for the gazebo went through several iterations, with the final design chosen in Spring of 2011. Construction began in Fall, 2011, with the gazebo composed predominately of recycled and reclaimed materials. The majority of lumber used for the wood was taken with the permission of Lafayette’s Plant Operations from ramps used during construction at Acopian Engineering Center and Pardee Hall. The gazebo’s four columns are supported by a foundation of pervious concrete, using a mix developed in the thesis research of senior Civil and Environmental Engineering students. The roof is a sustainable Pergola canvas, selected for its lightweight, environmentally-friendly material.

The gazebo is due to be completed prior to Earth Day, 2012. The final layout will include a berm of raised soil and native plants around the exterior, and benches inside the gazebo also made from reclaimed lumber.

This gazebo has been constructed solely by student members of the Lafayette College U.S. Green Building Council Student Group and supported financially in large part through the generosity of Turner Construction.

By Sarah Welsh-Huggins `12