Facilities: Page 570

2012 Facility of Merit Winner: Clarkson Community Centre Pool Expansion

Part of the City of Mississauga, Ont.'s community center revitalization initiative, the Clarkson pool expansion extends the existing facility out toward the main street for increased presence and identity. The building pushes forward and is linked to an existing skate park, making both the park and the building more central to the site plan rather than a concession at the edge of the site. A large amount of strategically placed glazing communicates the interior functions of the new pool to the exterior, while advantageously opening up the building to receive much more natural light than previously. The transparency projects interior activities to the outside world as passive advertising and a means of keeping eyes on the street, staying true to Jane Jacobs' notions of city building.

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Sponsored

How Wilmington College Turned a Routine Upgrade Into a Record-Setting Moment

Ecore

What started as a facilities need became proof that the right surface can elevate athletes, strengthen recruiting and redefine what a campus can expect from its track.

How Wilmington College Turned a Routine Upgrade Into a Record-Setting Moment

Outdoor Gyms Catching On in U.S. Parks

Adult playgrounds have been popular in areas of Asia and Europe for some time, but these outdoor attractions have been slow to catch on in the United States. The Trust for Public Land brought its first Fitness Zone®, a collection of outdoor strength, cardio and balance equipment, to Los Angeles five years ago, and many California communities have also embraced the trend.

SWING SETS A woman tests out the equipment at the grand opening of the TPL Fitness Zone in West Perrine Park, Miami, Fla. (Photo courtesy of Tom Clark/TPL )

American Health Clubs Contemplate a Move Toward European-Style Design

There are all sorts of exercisers, all sorts of health clubs and all sorts of countries. So forgive the many generalizations that follow.

Stadium & Arena

ABC 2012 Preconference Tours Feature Rebuilt New Orleans Facilities

One of the 2012 ABC pre conference tours featured the Superdome in New Orleans.

(Photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Superdome)

Stadium & Arena

2012 Facility of Merit Winner: JELD-WEN Field Renovation

A 1930s-era downtown stadium that was formerly shared with a Triple-A baseball team, JELD-WEN Field is now a state-of-the-art home for MLS soccer and the Portland Timbers. Stadiums rarely feature the kind of iconic element found here: A dynamic cantilevered steel canopy clad in cedar, which replaces the smaller original roof constructed of wood timbers. The canopy covers most of the new seats in the 19,000-seat stadium, and backs up to a promenade and open concourse with public views to the action inside. It touches the concourse level at only nine points, giving the impression that it floats above the seating area; to minimize the number of supports, the design team sloped the support columns so they could function to resist both gravity loads and lateral loads from wind and earthquakes. Steel plate girders and pipe trusses interconnected by a system of steel tie rods are visible only from above the canopy.

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2012 Facility of Merit Winner: Brant Sports Complex

AB's panel of judges found a lot to love in this small public ice complex in Paris, Ont., beginning with its advantageous use of a constrained but sloping site to allow players and spectators to enter at different levels at either end of a two-story glazed gallery. Initially viewed as an obstacle to arena design, the site's constraints were eventually embraced as offering an opportunity to reduce the mass of the building and to celebrate the activity taking place there. Running the entire length of the arena's north faÃ§ade, the resulting gallery creates an architectural billboard by using ample glazing and fritted glass graphics that together broadcast activity to the surrounding community.

2012 Facility of Merit Winner: University of Massachusetts Amherst Recreation Center

Prominently sited along the university's main thoroughfare, this recreation center project centers on a public concourse that extends through the building and reaches out to the east in the form of a new landscaped quadrangle, thus creating a link between campus athletic and academic facilities. Inclusion of the new quadrangle reflects the university's commitment to a pedestrian-friendly campus and speaks to a perceived paucity of high-quality outdoor space offering opportunities for relaxation, informal recreation and socializing.

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2012 Facility of Merit Winner: University of Central Missouri Student Recreation & Wellness Center Renovation and Expansion

It's a complicated renovation and addition, involving co-locating two programs within three formerly separate historic stone buildings on a tight site fronting a campus quadrangle, but the solution is actually quite simple, said AB's panel of judges. Wrapping the 1938 Morrow gymnasium so that the new structure bridges the gaps between that building and two other older buildings, the plan transforms the Morrow gym by inserting a new fitness mezzanine and expands a contemporary image to the east with a new addition. The addition was by far the most notable element, the judges said, with the new, gleaming curtainwall becoming a complementary element to the perpendicular, textured stone building on its flank. "It's all about the height, the scale and proportion of it," remarked one judge. "It really celebrates the historic buildings, and that clear juxtaposition of what was new and what was old made it a very exciting project."

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Stadium & Arena

2012 Facility of Merit Winner: BC Place Renovation

Dubbed a "chameleon" by one judge, Vancouver's BC Place had a complete makeover beginning with an aggressive re-branding of its public spaces and the addition of suites and club seats prior to serving as the site of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics. This alone was enough to impress AB's judges, from the addition of vibrant colors throughout concourse portals, restrooms and concessions areas to the "phenomenal" implementation (as one judge exclaimed) of a color-coded signage and wayfinding system.

Nineteen Rules for Dealing with Generation Y Employees

Legendary football coach John Madden had only three rules for his players: 1) Be on time; 2) Listen and learn; and 3) Play like hell when I tell you to. Luckily for Coach Madden, he never had to deal with Generation Y.

Though the authors have taken a harder line with their staff, initial response has been positive and job performance has improved. (Image © MTMCOINS/Istockphoto.com)

Blog: Something's Missing from This New Outdoor Complex

Outdoor tennis courts don't give people the opportunity to socialize.

Gym & Fieldhouse

None More Black: London's All-Black Basketball Court Shines

Hailed by officials at Brixton's Black Prince Community Hub as "the new home of London basketball," The Regal — a snazzy and royal-looking all-black basketball court used for the World Basketball Festival in June — has now become a permanent fixture for everything from youth-development leagues to national-level games.

Photos courtesy of Nike

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