Gregory Gymnasium Aquatic Complex Renovation and Expansion - University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX
Construction Cost: $15.3 million
Area / Square Feet: 70,000
Occupancy Date: March 2006

Like No Place Else on Campus” is the slogan that the University of Texas at Austin’s Division of Recreational Sports uses to describe the Gregory Gymnasium Aquatic Complex. Nestled into its urban campus context and built with large quantities of exposed limestone and native natural materials, the aquatic complex clearly announces its allegiance to the university while commanding its own place in the Texas Hill Country.

To relate to Waller Creek to the east, the complex features native plantings and remains open to existing hillside vegetation. Gregory Gym’s strong architectural forms and rigidly articulated detail serve as the complex’s western perimeter. Against the rich palette of natural limestone, the outdoor pool deck was crafted in multiple panels of colored and salt-finished concrete to create a stunning and highly functional surface. The Reception Garden, meanwhile, uses crushed limestone aggregate as the finished deck surface, creating a wonderfully soft and comfortable environment. Flanked by multitrunk trees and a bamboo forest, the garden is a place of special respite for recreational users. A large pool area with a six-inch water depth, known as the Lounge Ledge, provides a wonderful place for sunbathers to relax on partially submerged lounge chairs. The complex also offers exterior WiFi and Ethernet connectivity, as well as live music platforms with dynamic sound reinforcement capability.

The Gregory Gym Aquatic Complex has filled a void on campus by offering new opportunities for recreation, socializing and community building. Student organizations and departments have hosted socials, concerts, water recreation tournaments, and “dive in” movies and other pool parties in the new facility.