outdoor education pavilion
MILWAUKEE, WI
This outdoor classroom and multi-use pavilion for the University School of Milwaukee connects students to the natural world, situated at the threshold between the built campus and the landscape beyond it. Embracing local craft and natural materials, the project elevates and abstracts provisional, ad hoc building forms—lean-tos, sheds, and tents—recalling these primary geometries to be both familiar and other.
Envisioned as a low-impact off-grid sanctuary, the structure incorporates sustainable strategies, including minimal foundations and a composting toilet, to lower its environmental footprint. Built to comfortably shelter a full class of students, the space features dynamic, moveable shutters that allow the space to transition from a fully enclosed, weather-tight shelter to an open-air pavilion. This adaptability extends the usable academic season, providing light and ventilation while protecting from the elements. The interior is deliberately open and reconfigurable, easily transforming from a wildlife research station to a star-gazing deck, a campfire huddle to a literature seminar, a summer school home base to a performing arts stage.
Beyond its functional versatility, the pavilion provides a flexible retreat—a space for quiet focus, respite, and exploration—contrasting with the static walls of a traditional classroom. The classroom promotes exploration and informal gathering through its careful siting that preserves existing vegetation and frames the landscape in a manner both intimate and expansive.