This facility occupies a key transitional site on the UC Merced campus, establishing it as the architectural and social link between the academic core and the campus housing district.
A series of simple shed, gable and hip roofs were utilized to create an informal composition. Light monitors crown the hip roofs, presenting diffused daylight to the rooms below and acting as lanterns at night. Similar to the hay barns of the region, the roof and cheek walls appear to almost float over the landscape, and the generous use of glass at the ground level blurs the transitions between inside and out. The cardio and weight training areas are organized around a core of support services, allowing spaces to fl ow together.
Inside the gymnasium, wood wall and ceiling panels warm the space visually, while the pre-engineered frame is openly expressed. The result is a building that costs considerably less than conventional construction without the sacrifice of design quality.
Administrative offices and a conference room occupy the ground level of the wellness center wing. Above the administrative offices is the wellness center, the location of which complements the personal and private nature of health care.
Ganado Aquatics Center
