Unlike most of the 40 Facilities of Merit classes that preceded it, the 2021 roster of 10 caters almost exclusively to either campus or community recreation and wellness in structures of all shapes, sizes and investment levels. Over the past two weeks, AB Today has introduced readers to each of these winning projects individually, but here we offer a complete set of links in case you missed any along the way.
UNC Charlotte University Recreation Center
A dynamic hub for campus recreation, the University Recreation Center is UNC Charlotte’s first facility fully dedicated to campus recreation. The four-story facility triples the previous amount of available space and responds to growing student demand and enrollment by filling a significant void in UNC Charlotte’s student life experience with a wide variety of recreation offerings.
University of Connecticut Student Recreation Center
UConn’s 2015 Campus Master Plan laid out a vision for the physical development of the Storrs campus. One priority was to create a vibrant student precinct along Hillside Road, with the new Student Recreation Center as its centerpiece — a dynamic and welcoming destination that supports the goals and aspirations of this top-ranked institution.
Singing Hills Recreation and Senior Center
The Singing Hills Recreation Center is a first of its kind in Dallas — a community-focused facility in a historically underserved neighborhood, connected to a commuter rail station. The facility is a platform for social interaction, where human activities — recreation, community, education — intersect.
The Sherwood Community Centre is a community hub for the Town of Milton, located 80 kilometers west of Toronto, and a “gateway” project at the entrance of the town’s main street.
Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, Colby College
The state-of-the-art Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center at Colby College transcends conventional athletics and recreation center design, efficiently and elegantly integrating all of Colby’s indoor competition venues, training areas and other support spaces to comprehensively serve every athletics, recreation and wellness program on campus.
Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center
The multipurpose Lester Buresh Family Community Wellness Center serves as a formal and informal gathering space for community groups and residents in a small Midwestern town.
La Trobe University Sports Park and Stadium
The La Trobe University Sports Park and Stadium is the first multi-use site of its kind in Australia. This highly sustainable development combines student use, research, professional sport and community activities into one vibrant and consolidated site.
The Hidden Creek Community Center is envisioned as the social, recreational and cultural heart of Hillsboro — a growing suburban city and home to high-tech industry situated 20 miles west of Portland. Located within a developing 20-acre park containing a second-growth forest, the community center is designed to intensify the experience of the site attributes as an extension of the natural park setting.
A.W.B. Alumni Centre for Athletics and Student Life
As the largest construction project in Appleby College’s 109-year history, the A.W.B. Alumni Centre for Athletics and Student Life is a multipurpose facility designed as a new threshold to the Appleby campus. The program focuses on fitness and athletics, with additional academic and social spaces for the community’s middle and high school student populations. The project strengthens the existing axis of movement, creating a natural conduit between the main academic quadrangle and playing fields.
Walter C. Johnson Center for Health and Wellness
The Walter C. Johnson Center for Health and Wellness houses Hackley School’s physical education and athletics programs, as well as the school’s growing wellness programs, including mindfulness and meditation practices, nutrition education and yoga.
