{"id":40638,"date":"2025-11-03T11:21:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T16:21:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/?p=40638"},"modified":"2026-01-26T12:59:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:59:36","slug":"new-campus-pavilion-offers-sustainable-gathering-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/2025\/11\/new-campus-pavilion-offers-sustainable-gathering-space\/","title":{"rendered":"New Campus Pavilion Offers Sustainable Gathering Space"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

What started nearly two years ago as a vision for a bus shelter evolved into a campus pavilion that now serves as a hub for sustainability, student engagement and innovative design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Floating Grove, located between Biltmore Hall and Jordan Hall, not only highlights sustainable construction techniques but also provides a welcoming space for students, faculty and staff to gather, study and engage with the campus community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Made out of cross-laminated timber<\/a> (CLT), The Floating Grove is the first mass timber structure on campus. CLT is an engineered wood product that offers significant structural and environmental benefits compared to traditional building materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUsing this sort of natural resource in a building structure is better for the environment than using steel and concrete,\u201d said Rico Ruffino<\/a>, an assistant professor of the practice in the Department of Forest Biomaterials at North Carolina State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ruffino, who acted as a faculty liaison and coordinator for the design and construction of The Floating Grove, said the idea originated from his colleague, Frederik Laleicke<\/a>, an associate professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Forest Biomaterials. <\/p>\n\n\n