The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center (Kerrville, Texas)

Kerrville, Texas
Construction Cost: $12.6 million
Area / Square Feet: 47,510
Occupancy Date: November 2010

Providing a place where children and families are exposed to different people, activities and art that would otherwise be beyond their reach, this community center is also designed as a holistic ministry of the body, mind and soul.

Upon entering the facility, a light-filled lobby leads directly to the new chapel, which provides a place for worship, celebration and performances. The east corridor off the lobby contains all fitness, gymnasium and locker room spaces, and leads to separately controlled access to the outdoor aquatic center. The west corridor leads to a teen lounge, a childcare center with access to a gated outdoor playground, classrooms and a fellowship hall with full-service kitchen and offices. The outdoor aquatics center features a leisure pool with a beach entry, a slide, a climbing wall and play features, as well as a three-lane, warm-water lap pool.

Neutral colors in lobbies, lounges and the chapel encourage contemplation and relaxation. More vivid color palettes in activity spaces promote fitness and recreation, while most spaces have views to the surrounding Texas countryside. Sited for maximum visibility, the sweeping exterior is broken up into smaller forms to emphasize the main entry, gym and fellowship center. The design and use of local stone reflect the area’s typical German Hill Country architecture.