Claude Moore Community Recreation Center

Sterling, VA
Construction Cost: $14.5 million
Area / Square Feet: 91,000
Occupancy Date: March 2007

Located within Claude Moore Park in Loudoun County, Va., this facility mirrors agricultural architecture, standing in stark contrast to the "big box" retail stores and offices surrounding the historic farm/park setting. A traditional barn and silo serves as the entry for this complex, providing a singular feature at the front of the building that glows at night. Smaller structures for the gym, community rooms, and teen and childcare areas extend from the central lobby.

Direct visibility to all of the activity areas from the lobby makes for constant excitement and easy supervision. An elevated track runs through the heart of the facility above the fi tness area, with exterior vistas on two sides of the building, as well as interior views to the entry lobby, climbing wall, gymnasium and both pools.

The aquatics area includes a 50-meter training and competition pool and a leisure pool with sundeck, linked by a suite of locker rooms, the mechanical core and family changing spaces. The iconic silo, clad in regional glazed brick, houses the spiral water slide.

Horizontal composite siding with stone base and standing-seam metal roofing enclose the majority of the complex, and playful yet bold reds and yellows help differentiate the masses.