Dr. Betty L. Siegel Student Recreation and Activities Center Renovation and Addition – Kennesaw State University

A unique challenge in renovating the original 1965 recreation facility was the incorporation of a key pedestrian link on the south side of the existing structure. Pedestrian traffic through the middle of the building links one of the university’s largest parking facilities with the academic campus. Providing controlled access to the recreation center from this pedestrian link was a challenge that the design turns into an engaging asset — an urban interchange of social and fitness activity that intersects on three levels.

Spanning the pedestrian spine, a glass bridge unites the two wings of the Student Recreation Center into a cohesive whole. The pedestrian experience is an exhilarating one filled with the sights and sounds of students working out, climbing, swimming and playing a variety of sports.

The facility provides 46 unique program elements and nearly 150 simultaneous activity choices. All activity choices are united by the central three-story atrium that gives the center its engaging organizational clarity. Five different neighborhoods include a “feature fitness” zone composed of cutting-edge equipment and an early-morning workout zone on the first level overlooking the climbing wall. The upper fitness level is composed of three different fitness zones, each with a unique blend of equipment and spatial character.