Elizabeth and Malcolm Chace Wellness and Athletic Center, Renovation and Addition, Bryant University

Smithfield, RI
Construction Cost: $7 million
Area / Square Feet: 6,800 GSF new 6,956 GSF reno 13,756 GSF totl
Occupancy Date: May 2016

Working within a narrow footprint, the addition to the Chace Wellness and Athletic Center provides Bryant University with a fully equipped sport medicine suite and relocates the offices for the athletics department administration and the football program. An attractive new facade hides what was a blank red brick wall, enhancing the campus arrival sequence and providing needed program space to benefit the entire department.

The new offices and meeting rooms offer attractive views of the campus and leave a memorable impression on new recruits. The addition also allowed some internal reshuffling and expansion of spaces within the existing center. The men’s and women’s basketball suites now overlook the competition courts, and new offices were created for the lacrosse, field hockey and baseball programs. Upper-level offices efficiently combine open office clusters with enclosed office spaces.

The open office areas are against the exterior wall to maximize natural light and views. Windows were carefully considered to balance the desired level of privacy with the introduction of natural light, and maple finishes were selectively used throughout to add warmth. The internal enclosed offices have clerestory windows and receive borrowed daylight from the open areas. A continuous second-floor curtainwall, which extends to the roofline, helps to lighten the bulk of the addition and gives it a clean and contemporary appearance.