The construction of the Charlie Kontos Memorial Kiosk was a long process with its fair share of challenges and roadblocks. Ultimately, we were able to place the structure in a perfect location, visible to everyone entering the Livingston Campus.
I used locally-sourced black locust lumber, an extremely dense and rot-resistant hardwood that required no pressure treating and could withstand decades in the elements. The colored acrylic panels were cut to size on-site, and in addition to drawing attention to the structure, serve as light filters, allowing visitors to see the world a bit differently (photographers have enjoyed them, as have children). The information panels, originally intended to be mounted on steel, were installed as acrylic windows with the laminated content sealed within. The posts are secured to Perma Column footers planted five feet into the ground, as per code.
The slats are spaced using black locust blocks that had been cut from the original posts during our processing, making use of every scrap and minimizing waste. Two rebar rods were threaded through each information side of the kiosk, reducing the tension on the horizontal slats. Fine bluestone gravel from a local quarry was used to cover the ground plane and establish a level grade.