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Recreational Sports Facility
Tarleton Recreational Sports Facility The Tarleton Recreational Sports Facility was developed as a student referendum project funded through student approved fees. The campus had one of the most extensive and, ostensibly, one of the most successful student intramural programs of any University in the country judging from the number of national championships they have garnered. Yet their recreational sports program was handicapped by the fact that they had only a single court unairconditioned gymnasium that was over 50 years old. The University dreamt of a facility that would enable their recreational sports program to grow to the next level and respond in an even more supportive role. All of this had to be done within an extremely tight budget. The architectural context of the site consisted of several unharmonious buildings with a mixed palette of materials and functions including a stadium, student housing, private apartments and an athletic building. The stadium, apartments and athletic building were all very old buildings which did not reflect the campus architecture. The chosen site was adjacent to intramural fields, the track and campus housing. Adding to the challenge was the need for classrooms and administrative functions to be available to non-members of the facility (free zone) while securing the programmed areas for members only (controlled access zone). The project success was achieved through a highly collaborative design and construction process involving the architects, owner and contractor. Programming and design charrettes involving the entire project team and the project stakeholders were held to formulate the project scope and bring it into a very tight budget. Multiple design concepts were analyzed and reviewed with the owner in plan and 3D CAD sketch models to determine the most appropriate response to the owners programming needs, secured/freezones and campus architecture. The classroom and administrative offices were located directly off the public lobby and prior to the controlled access zone so that any student or visitor could access them without membership being a prerequisite. The classrooms are available for use by any department on campus. The design of the building is open and inviting. The sweeping glass wall facing southeast communicates the purpose of the building at night while providing expansive views for students exercising in the cardio-theater, strength training, running track and rock climbing venues. Upon entry into the two story building lobby, one is visually immersed into activities in the 3 court gym, strength training, racquetball courts, rock climbing wall, cardio-theater and elevated running track. In the few months since the building opened, over 95% of the programs intended for the building have been implemented. The facility is running at 90% of its intended capacity and has been widely embraced by the student body and faculty alike. Recreational Sports is now able to offer multiple state-of-the-art indoor recreational venues to its students as well as support outdoor venues such as Outdoor Adventure (camping, kayaking, etc.). The project is serving its intended purpose of promoting student wellness and opportunities for “campus life” while architecturally moving the campus into the 21st century. Recreational sports and wellness program requirements Providing a plethora of indoor program options for Recreational Sports was the primary goal of constructing this facility. The University had a single court unairconditioned gym they used for over 50 years for intramural basketball, archery, aerobics, spinning, volleyball and many other functions. Activities were running as late as midnight in order to accommodate as many of these Rec Sports and classes as possible. Class instruction and sports activities were occurring in multiple facilities across campus instead of adjacent to one another in a single building. Architectural design heritage Prior to construction of the new Rec Sports Facility, the Tarleton campus architectural heritage was modest at best. The campus was desperately in need of a new architectural heritage. Without abandoning the campus materials palette, the Design Team infused a new era of architectural imagery while respecting the existing materials palette. Campus life Specializing in higher education architecture, the Project Team’s primary consideration, other than providing a state-of-the-art Rec Sports/Wellness facility, was to provide opportunities for campus life. Given the propensity for today’s Millennialist and Gen-X generations to segregate themselves in their rooms with sedentary activities such as the internet and computer gaming, the purpose of this facility was to draw students out of the residence halls and provide interactive physical activity. The immense sweeping curved glass façade lures students from their residence halls across the street into the new wellness facility. The success of this project can be measured by the fact that within a few short months it is operating at 90% of its design capacity and 95% of its programming activity. Sustainability While certification of this building was not an owner requirement, sustainability was a primary concern for the Project Team. The building was sited on an existing parking lot site, oriented to take maximum advantage of daylight to reduce energy requirements, utilized highly efficient HVAC equipment and DDC controls, incorporated high albedo roofing and paving materials, utilized low flow fixtures and water efficient landscaping materials, specified highly efficient glazing with solar shading devices, required additional insulation in the envelope and on piping, met night sky lighting requirements and incorporated many other sustainability features. Homogenous campus architecture While the campus as a whole contains a common materials palette on approximately seventy-five percent of its structures, the immediate context around the Rec Sports facility was considerably less. The existing materials of reddish/orange brick, cast stone, bronze anodized aluminum and green sloped roofing were skillfully interwoven with an updated palette of champagne solar screens, burnished CMU and acrylic plaster. The end result is an excellent example of architectural nourishment on a campus in search of a leading edgeidentity that will attract students of generations to come. Project Description:
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