Roanoke Recreation Center

Roanoke, TX
Construction Cost: $3.5 million
Area / Square Feet: 36,000
Occupancy Date: October 2005

The Roanoke Recreation Center was built with a tight budget on a site that will be shared with a future city library. The facility boasts a strength-training and cardiovascular fitness room, an aerobics room, two racquetball courts, two full-size basketball courts (one of which converts to a volleyball court), an elevated track, a game room, a children?s activity center and four classrooms. All spaces are organized around a colorful, two-story glass atrium with a striking curved roof.

A centrally located reception counter allows visual supervision of all activity areas, and Roanoke City Parks and Recreation administrative offices are located at the front entrance, allowing staff to monitor egress.

The steel and concrete block structure features a combination of masonry veneer and metal panel exterior elements, and the outside entry is highlighted with plant beds that respond to the curved wall of the fitness room. Plants were selected from native and adapted species in order to minimize maintenance.