As Clemson’s poster child, Tillman Hall headlines newsletters, acceptance offers and graduation pictures. The building stands as a beacon in the center of campus, with its bell constantly reminding late students to get to class. So this year, when news of a renovation broke out, one student seized the opportunity to become timeless.
Clemson’s iconic Tillman Hall clock tower — standing tall since its construction in the 1890s — is undergoing a major transformation. Amidst auditorium renovations, century-old wood was upended and removed. But instead of finding a home in a landfill, the ancient wood was a gift graciously accepted by Clemson’s Design Build Club.
Junior Mason Chizhik, president and founder of the club, was tasked with repurposing and honoring the age-old wood into something special for future generations of Clemson students.
“We got wood from Tillman Hall’s original construction,” Chizhik said. “We have been salvaging the wood from there — it’s 132 years old, from 1892 — and we have been repurposing the wood to create two benches for their newly renovated auditorium.”
In a coincidence that felt like fate, the club was actively seeking its first major project when this opportunity fell out of the sky into the club’s lap. Founded just a few months ago, in Oct. 2024, the club already has a chance to become immortal.
“Founding it, my whole goal was to eventually build something on campus that helps out the community and outlives myself, and I think this project was ‘right place, right time,'” Chizhik said.
With construction due to finish in April, Chizhik is on the clock. However, the project is in good hands, with more than eight people already helping and another 20 interested. In tandem with the benches, the club formulated the idea of a plaque that would honor the club, the participants and the antique wood.
“We are preserving Clemson history, repurposing it into those benches. So, it’s saving history and adding history of its own. It’s pretty cool,” Chizhik said.
For this debut project, Chizhik made it obvious how much effort and thought the club put into the construction of the benches. The building techniques used for the benches are methodical and complicated, paying an ode to the skills of those at the helm.
“The other cool feature is that we are only using wood. We are doing wood joinery. We are not using any nails or screws or brackets. It’s all just wood-to-wood connection with glue,” Chizhik said.
The puzzle-like construction means every piece must be meticulously cut and placed, giving the project a very organic feel. By using wood joinery, the benches symbolically stand as a testament to the enduring legacy of the materials and the University’s history.
But before the wood could be carved into intricate puzzle pieces, the Design Build Club had other hills to climb. When the wood was brought to the woodshop, it was dense, wet and warped, raising challenges for Chizhik and company. Even just getting the wood through the planar to flatten it out was extraordinarily difficult. While admittedly tedious, the team found the silver lining behind their initial challenges: the opportunity to work with remarkably unique and historical material.
“The wood is beautiful underneath the old coat, once we stripped the sides. It is heavy and dense, but I think it’s great. I think it’s a good way to learn,” Chizhik said.
“I’ve always had a passion for hands-on building. I figured sharing that with other students would be very valuable to my architectural and educational career. I think understanding how to work with materials and working with your hands can teach you a lot,” Chizhik said.
The club has already woodshop-trained 97 students, a certification that verifies the safe use of Clemson’s materials and machines.
Humbly, Chizhik readily gave credit and gratitude to vice president of project management Evan Cowell, who has been integral to the formation and operation of the new club. Whether it’s starting a new club or turning wet wood into benches, one thing is incredibly apparent: the Design Build Club is the right team for the job.
