THE PEACE PAVILION

SUMMARY:

The 2025 Bethel Woods Art and Architecture Festival: Build Fest 2 – Peace Rises is a national design competition inviting university faculty and students to create small wood installations and large wood pavilions on the historic 1969 Woodstock Festival grounds. Recognized by programs across the U.S. and featured in outlets such as Architectural Review, ArchDaily, and Dezeen, the five-day live-work event celebrates design, craft, and collaboration.
The Peace Pavilion, led by AREA (Assistant Professor Amanda Reis and Eduardo Aquino), draws inspiration from the Ying-Yang symbol to express unity and reflection. Two mirrored gathering spaces are connected by a laser-engraved wooden screen featuring peace phrases curated from literature, music, and poetry. Built from prefabricated 2”x4” wood panels, the pavilion balances digital fabrication and hands-on craft while prioritizing sustainability, efficiency, and minimal waste.

COLLABORATIVE PROJECT:

Noah Baldon, Maddy Bortle, Anna-Leigha Clarke, Ryan Denburg, Sydney Fox, Gabriela Hernandez, Mackendra Nobes, Julia Resnick

Pre-Fabrication Process

Over the first two weeks of the semester, my classmates and I worked with our professor to prefabricate the Peace Pavilion’s wall, floor, and roof components. This approach allowed for efficient on-site assembly at Bethel Woods rather than building from scratch.

Early in the process, alignment issues emerged while securing blocking to studs. By stabilizing our L-square and adding weighted support during drilling and fastening, we refined our workflow and achieved consistent, precise construction.

Pre-Fabricated Panels

On-site construction at Bethel Woods took place over a four-day design-build competition, beginning with site grading to create a stable foundation. The floor system was anchored and raised to allow the walls to be installed into the floor gaps, requiring careful coordination and on-site troubleshooting as adjustments were made.

Once the walls were secured, the structure was lowered to install the roof, which was assembled sequentially due to tight tolerances. The project concluded with the installation of the engraved peace-phrase panels and solar-powered lighting, extending the pavilion’s use into the evening.