The new Southern Area Aquatics and Recreation Complex is a multigenerational facility for community and recreational activities. The facility includes group exercise rooms, four multipurpose community rooms, a two-court gymnasium, an indoor aquatics facility with wet classrooms, a fitness and weight training area, and a one-tenth-mile elevated track.
A prominent 175-year-old willow oak tree dominates the young forested site. The new building is sited approximately 150 yards from the specimen tree, and the layout is designed to frame views of the surrounding forest.
The central community atrium acts as a circulation spine with access to the community zone on the east side and the high-volume recreation spaces on the west side. The “branch” steel columns march along the gallery as a gesture of bringing the forest inside the building. Strategic glazing locations allow users to connect with the forest in different areas of the building. The gentle curvilinear roof form over the recreation areas, the slanted walls, and the curved wall along the community zone are reflections of the community’s desire to respect the last forested area in Brandywine.
Everett Family YMCA
