The Federal Way Community Center provides programs to serve citizens of all ages and abilities in this growing community of about 100,000 residents. In addition to leisure and lap pools, the building features a three-court gymnasium, fitness spaces, a climbing wall, a seniors’ lounge, and community spaces that include classrooms, a preschool and a multipurpose room.
The center resembles a village of small buildings. Simple shed roofs and building shapes common to the Pacific Northwest reflect this concept. Masonry, wood, cement siding and natural concrete blend comfortably into the natural setting.
The building’s interior plan is organized around “streets” with gathering spaces. A short street becomes a central lobby that flows from the entry past a cafe with windows to the pool area and finishes in the Forest Room, a cozy space nestled into outside conifer trees. Second-level fitness spaces overlook the pool and the climbing wall. Designs in the floors and walls evoke natural pools and earth strata. Natural light is introduced to all spaces, and high-efficiency fixtures and lighting controls allow for energy savings.
The aquatics component accommodates simultaneous competition events in the lap pools, and a glass wall separates the highly active leisure pool, which features a lazy river, a fun slide, an interactive play feature and recreational lap swimming.
Claude Moore Community Recreation Center
