The pavilion project at Old Towne Creek Park aimed to provide a gathering space while preserving the park’s historic and natural character. The project focused on designing and constructing a pavilion and donor wall to enhance community engagement, provide a gathering space for the visitors, and support the overall Old Towne Creek Park renovation and redevelopment project.
Students from the Community Build studio collaborated with Charleston County Parks throughout the design process, creating a design that met the park’s needs and context. The team then assembled the pavilion, and later the donor wall, integrating masonry, concrete, structural steel, and wood construction.
Two of the most defining features of this project were the oyster cooker and fireplace. The fireplace was the first masonry fireplace that the Clemson Community Build program has built. It taught students how to work in masonry and provided the opportunity to work with local experts to create a functional amenity for the pavilion. The students also created a working oyster cooker, which ties back to the historic context of the site, as oyster cooking has always been culturally significant to Charleston, given the proximity to the water.
Students from the Spring 2025 studio later completed the fabrication and construction of the Donor Wall, from the designs completed by the 2024 studio.
Acknowledgements –
Erica Behm, Carter Bertram, Chloe Kaminsky, Griffin Naddy, Jared Raskin, Britton Riddle, Raechel Schroeder, Rustin Seyle, Clay Shehan, Caroline Woodard
*Liam Casagrande, Hunter Hill, Lad Howell, Colin Johnson, Gage McClatchey, Thomas Meacham, Ryan O’Connell, Lauren Reaumme, Anna Turco, Reagan West