West Sacramento Recreation Center

West Sacramento, Calif.
Construction Cost: $15 million
Area / Square Feet: 56,800
Occupancy Date: January 2009

As the largest joint-use facility in West Sacramento, the West Sacramento Recreation Center has become a hub of activity from early morning through evening. Fee-based memberships allow citizens to use the pools, fitness center, play fields, childcare center and a centerpiece 32-foot-high, freestanding climbing structure. The recreation center and nearby high school jointly share tennis courts, basketball courts, athletic fields, a 3,000-seat multisport stadium, and an aquatic center featuring a competition pool and a family play pool with a lazy river and waterslide.

It was essential for the control desk to have visual connection to all activity in the building to strengthen security efforts. The desk took on a curved form, allowing staff to stand in one location and see directly into the lounge, lobby, gymnasium, main corridors, fitness center and climbing wall area. Detailed planning went into the design of passive security controls for separation between the recreation center and the high school.

A warm, free-flowing aesthetic greets visitors to the recreation center. Colorful stained concrete in a curved flowing pattern makes a useful wayfinding tool from the control counter to activity areas. All major corridors and open activity areas are lined with wood-panel wainscoting for durability and warmth. Transparency was vital for the visual security of activity areas; thus, glass walls and windows keep the space open and secure. The climbing wall is showcased in front of a 30-foot window wall with colorful lighting overlooking the pools outside.