Page 31 - College Planning & Management, September 2018

Facilities CAMPUS SPACES
Embracing a New Vision for Sports, Fitness, and Wellness
Traditionally seen as venues for sporting events, workouts, and team practices, campus sports and recreation buildings are taking on an exciting new mission.
BY JAN TAYLOR AIA, LEED-AP BD+C
FOR GENERATIONS, athletic buildings were second- ary, often underused places. Built with a greater focus on function than design, they typically had a single purpose:
supporting varsity athletics. On the fringes both geographically and socially, they served a small percentage of the campus population.
Today, a seismic shift is underway. As the era of single- discipline spaces yields to a lively and beneficial convergence of uses, sports and recreation buildings are carving out a new iden- tity. The aspiration is to create a multipurpose social hub designed to welcome the entire campus community.
These experience-based places accommodate a range of activities from varsity sports competitions to yoga, meditation areas, and cooking classes. Many include traditional academic and student life programs. Designing a high-traffic building where these diverse spaces work together in harmony requires a thorough examination of the opportunities, costs, and potential pitfalls.
Planning and Vision
At Worcester State University (WSU) in Massachusetts, opening a new 101,000-square-foot Wellness Center was the culmination of a decade-long transition from a commuter college to a global univer- sity with a 24/7 campus life. WSU administrators envisioned a com- bined social, health, fitness, teaching, and athletic destination, “the
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PHOTOS © JOHN HOMER