An educational gateway to the Harlem River at Sherman Creek Park, the EDGE-ucation Pavilion exceeds conventional flood-zone-safe construction to become fully “invisible to nature.” The pavilion, consisting of a classroom and boathouse, has minimal impact on the site. Nestled within the topography, it is strategically placed to accommodate existing trees and lifted off the ground to allow tide and floodwaters to flow underneath.

The design embraces visual and material permeability. In the leftover spaces around the main programs of classroom and boathouse, open corners become flexible semi-outdoor learning spaces. A grid of skylights – and circular holes to accommodate growing trees – opens the interior to natural light. The walls and floor are made from galvanized steel grating, which invites vines, breezes and water to pass through the pavilion unimpeded.

WORKac collaborated with the fashion designer Maria Cornejo to develop the “camouflage” pattern of the roof and with the landscape ecologist Eric Sanderson to ensure that native habitats were restored and respected.