NCSU School of Architecture’s Summer Design Build Studio Encourages Students to Collaborate Across Disciplines to Build New Mass Timber Outdoor Learning Space
When the NCSU Landscape Framework Plan identified The Grove, an under-used area between two dorm halls, as a “prime site for the creation of a new collaboration space,” 14 students at the School of Architecture’s Summer Design + Build Program, guided by faculty members, embraced the opportunity to enhance their campus environment while gaining hands-on experience with sustainable architectural methods and materials.
In October, NCSU unveiled The Floating Grove: a welcoming mass timber pavilion designed by students, for students. Made entirely of CLT panels and glulam beams, the pavilion offers a beautiful, flexible learning space that promotes community, engagement, and sustainability.
In a LinkedIn post, Master of Architecture student Sanchana Bandari said, “It’s not every day that architecture students get to step beyond the drawing board and construct what we design. That’s what makes this project so special: we didn’t just draw the lines, we stood under them when they became beams.”
By providing practical design-build experience with innovative building materials like CLT, The Floating Grove project allowed students to deepen their understanding of the full mass timber project delivery process, from design to fabrication to on-site assembly—all while creating an inviting campus space to support connection, collaboration, and everyday use for students, faculty, and staff.
