Timber Frame Bus Stop in Alfred

Students enrolled in the building trades curriculums at Alfred State College recently went to work to create a timber frame bus stop in the Village of Alfred. Leon Buckwalter, instructor in the building trades: building construction program, in conjunction with COTTA (Community Outreach Through the Arts--an Alfred University student initiative which pursues public art projects to enhance the aesthetics of the village of Alfred and provides students with an educational experience in public art-making while providing the village with the renovation and beautification) and the Alfred State architecture students, combined their skills to create the bus stop. COTTA secured the initial funding and partnered with the ASC Architecture Club, which did the design work. Buckwalter consulted with the architecture students throughout their design to guide them regarding the special requirements of timber frame design. Buckwalter also volunteered to oversee the fabrication and raising of the frame. The materials were ordered last summer for a fall delivery, and fabrication started with the Timber Frame Club immediately in the fall 2007 semester. Because it was too large an undertaking for the club alone, Buckwalter's spring semester historic preservation class also did a portion of the work. The ASC architecture students also came when they could, along with several Alfred University students and a student from France who'd heard of the project and brought her Hornell BOCES instructor along. The project is a fine example of positive town-gown relationships.