The pavilion acts simultaneously as a part of infrastructure - collecting & retaining 550 gallons of water for irrigation use on site, as well as a community gathering point – providing respite from the sun on a hot day of gardening. Located adjacent to the Guest House of Milwaukee in their Cream City Gardens, where the guests tend to a half-acre of urban farms. Each year the pavilion will collect approximately 17,220 gallons of storm water within the storage tanks and nearby rain gardens.
The pavilion is a humble structure, composed of steel & wood. The broad roof creates an 880 square foot catchment area, directing the water into a wood clad cistern that used for the gardens. The pavilion is an integral component to the Guest House’s rehabilitation and education programs, and has become an icon that identifies this urban farm - professing the importance of sustainable practices and the role innovative infrastructure can have in elevating the City and our lives.