Sacramento State University

Sacramento, Calif.
Construction Cost: $52 million
Area / Square Feet: 151,000
Occupancy Date: September 2010

Founded on the concept that community is supported by wellness-education-leisure-lifestyle (WELL), The WELL is designed to integrate recreation and health/wellness services. The WELL’s program consists of wellness (physical and mental health clinics, pharmacy, lab, optometry), education (nutrition, physical therapy, conference), leisure (recreation, intramural sports, gymnasium, multipurpose court, fitness center, exercise studios, climbing area, outdoor adventure), and lifestyle (plaza, terraces, informal gathering areas, café).

The design comprises two primary forms: the regularly shaped gym box and the curved bar, which houses public areas, wellness facilities and many of the fitness components. The space between the gym box and curved bar consists of administrative offices, meeting areas and a VIP terrace overlooking the campus stadium. The climbing area, serving as a two-level room from which different activities radiate, orients users and marks a community “street.”

One of the building’s most visible features is an entrance atrium with a skylight made of an innovative thermoplastic material that bathes the space in natural light and creates a beacon at night. The atrium centers a radial wayfinding system. Inside, The WELL features an entertaining sequence of spaces, durable and attractive material choices, large quantities of natural light, strong indoor/outdoor relationships, openness and memorable forms. The central entry lobby is embedded in a great curving facade, which defines a new quadrangle and reveals the internal life of the building.