Designing Kiosks for the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation

With Cazenovia being such a small town, that means the businesses within it are a very tight knit community. We are always eager to help out a neighboring organization in need of architectural assistance. This meant that when we were asked by the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF) in the fall of 2022 to assist them with a project that involved redesigning some of the informational kiosks located on a variety of trails in and around Cazenovia, we were excited to help.

Keith Berger, Visualization Specialist at Teitsch-Kent-Fay Architects, P.C. is a constant user of these trails. Which meant when CPF reached out to our team, Keith was eager to help them design something incredible.

The existing kiosks on the trails, to put it diplomatically, had “reached the end of their useful lives. Time and the elements had taken their toll, and the time for replacement had more than arrived. Keith worked closely with the CPF team to develop a basic design for these small structures. Each would include an informational posting area, with a map that could be protected from the elements, as well as space for more changeable posting for calendar specific events. Each would also include a roof element, to protect the structure itself and also to provide minimal cover for individuals caught out in the weather.

Our team went on to develop the details needed for the construction of the kiosks. These included a material list of what would be needed for each structure. Keith and the CPF team worked together to ensure that the details made the most efficient use of the materials. For instance, the posting board and the roof elements were sized such that multiple elements could be cut from the same sheet of material. In this way, the amount of cut off material was minimized resulting in a more sustainable and economical final project.

The construction details were also developed to employ simple construction techniques. The reason for this was partially to maintain the budget, but also because each structure would be built in relatively remote areas by volunteer personnel. A minimum of complicated joints, combined with simple bolted or nailed connections made sure the construction was easy and quick for these volunteers to complete.

In 2024, the kiosks were constructed and could be found along the Cazenovia hiking trails. One of the best times of year to hike these trails is the fall because you can watch the amazing Central NY trees changing color. Next time you're looking to do a hike in Central NY check out Fairchild Hill and Burlingame Gateway trails and make sure to utilize the new kiosks so that you know where you're going.