The Kaw Pavilion is named for the Kansas River – the watershed in which the pavilion resides – and draws inspiration from indigenous structures of the Kansa (Kaw) tribe, the first inhabitants of the region. Eleven third year architecture students designed and built the shade structure and carved limestone trail markers in four months with zero budget – all materials were recycled from waste streams or donated. The shade structure serves as outdoor classroom, meeting space for local groups, resting area for trail users, outdoor events, parental supervision of playground, etc. The pavilion created a place of shade refuge for the park, where previously none existed.

In addition to referencing indigenous structures, recycled power poles form the super structure, and shingles attached to long spans of recycled metal reference train tracks that ran next to the site where the Burroughs Creek Trail is located today. Street sign shingles create a connection with the more recent past and our automobile-driven culture, and in this way, the Kaw Pavilion pulls together three eras of our shared cultural history. Through a comprehensive understanding of the site, students studied urban waste streams, prairie landscape and green infrastructure, and gained a deep respect for the East Lawrence Community.