Appalachian State University's campus offered few sites large enough for a new student recreation center. Even utilizing an existing eight-court tennis facility as the building pad, designers needed to stack elements vertically to accommodate a variety of recreation functions on this sloping site. Amenities include a 50-meter pool, a four-court basketball gymnasium and a three-court club sports gym. From their intermediate level, weight rooms overlook the pool (designed for both competition and recreation), as well as the basketball gym and its suspended running track.
A 45-foot-tall climbing wall is housed in its own tower, which overlooks a key campus intersection and is visible from Boone?s business district. The climbing tower also is visible from within the vibrant entry rotunda, which provides direct access to the university?s recreation offices and its outdoor program.
The rotunda and climbing tower visually tie the new facility to the existing campus context by employing an established palette of red brick and green standing-seam metal roofing. Additionally, form and detailing recall Appalachian State?s arena, which anchors the other end of the main campus thoroughfare.
Cleaver Family YMCA
