JENSEN BEACH, Fla. — A gazebo is coming to Langford Park in Jensen Beach, and a recent high school graduate is behind the design.
Tristen Zanfini, a Jensen Beach High School graduate now studying civil engineering at the University of Central Florida, won a student design contest for the structure, which will be built outside the park's senior center.
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"I was not expecting it. It's just a really cool thing," Zanfini said.
The project is a partnership between Jensen Beach High School students, the Jensen Beach Garden Club and N2 Architecture. Students will also be involved in the construction process.
The gazebo is valued at approximately $85,000 and is fully funded through community donations and contributions.
"Everything is in partnership with in-kind exchanges and donated time and there is no fund from Martin County," Jessica Ballash, deputy director of Martin County Parks and Recreation, said.
The Jensen Beach Garden Club's president, Dana Von Rinteln, said the structure will serve a real need for people who gather outside the senior center.
"We see a lot of people coming early and they stand around outside and they talk before they go in for their things and we realized they can use some protection from the elements," Von Rinteln said.
Von Rinteln said the project is also a meaningful learning experience for the students involved.
"This is a real-life experience. These students will see something that they've been involved in. There's now a permanent structure as a record of that," Von Rinteln said.
For Zanfini, watching his design become a permanent part of the community is a milestone he hopes is just the beginning.
"It can help me as I'm going to college and just to take things to the next level and knowing what I'm able to do," Zanfini said. "I am really excited about my design being put there because it just means a lot to me."
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