Solar Pavilion at OSBR Y complete!
Baton Rouge (January 12, 2012) – The first installation of solar panels in the Old South Baton Rouge neighborhood sits atop a new outdoor pavilion at the Baranco Clark YMCA, a long-time community hub and pillar of education, after-school programming, health and senior activities in the neighborhood. This outdoor classroom was built through a collaborative effort of Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) the LSU School of Architecture and Baton Rouge Community College’s Construction Education program, with major funding from the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation.
“The YMCA has been a steady and invaluable asset to the Old South Baton Rouge community for decades,” said Boo Thomas, CPEX President and CEO. “It is an honor for us to be involved in enhancing such a great place and we know this will have a lasting positive impact on the community.”
Students from LSU designed the pavilion after researching the needs of the YMCA community and the unique requirements of the solar panel systems. The students then constructed it during an eight-week period over the summer. The final step involved installation of the solar panels by BRCC students.
Other funders included the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and the East Baton Rouge Mortgage Finance Authority. Landscape improvements surrounding the pavilion were made possible by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors.
Other supporters included the LSU Community University Partnership In-Service Day Volunteers, City Year Volunteers, Benchmark Group LLC, Grainger, Lite Solar and friends and families of the Baranco Clark YMCA.
This outdoor classroom will be programmed with existing YMCA kids’ activities and with upcoming family wellness and health activities. The pavilion, as the first in the community to utilize solar power, will serve as a prototype for continued community and educational relationships and showcase green building techniques to be mirrored in future community construction.
