The Lenexa Rec Center sits on a six-acre site as part of a larger civic campus. The new campus is the culmination of 20 years of community-driven planning and a desire to place all of the city’s civic assets within walking distance in one dense destination point. These assets include a new city hall, a public market, a farmers’ market, a 500-stall parking garage, multiple outdoor gathering spaces and the 100,000-square foot recreation center.
Building materials were chosen based on the civic nature of the overall campus and as a nod to the Kansas landscape, with limestone stacked in a striated fashion to reflect the earth layers located in natural caves below the site. The Lenexa Rec Center was placed on the western edge of the campus to take advantage of views over the Kansas landscape.
Maximizing daylight and controlling glare were key considerations for the natatorium and gymnasium spaces. The public’s highest design priority was a walking track, which extends to the full perimeter of the building on the third floor. Its highlights are a length of six laps per mile, 360-degree views and a five percent slope that offers runners and walkers a unique track experience. An alternative two-lane bypass is available for users who prefer a continual flat surface
