Louisville Recreation & Senior Center Renovation and Expansion

Louisville, CO
Construction Cost: $28.5 million
Area / Square Feet: 103,000
Occupancy Date: December 2018

The aging Louisville Recreation and Senior Center has served the residents of Louisville and surrounding communities for more than 25 years, but the facility needed upgrades and an expansion to continue to accommodate demand. The center was completed after an in-depth feasibility study for expansion and renovation of both the Recreation & Senior Center and the Memory Square Pool. The study included extensive public outreach, open houses, community-wide surveys and regular meetings with the project task force and recreation staff.

The design process led to the development of a significant addition and renovation to the current center, which includes a new leisure pool, an exercise and lap pool, a fitness center with group exercise studios, a turf gym, a new preschool and indoor playground and an extensive renovation and addition to the senior center, including a lounge, meetings rooms, a game room and a new catering kitchen.

Warm wood tones overhead guide users to the interior lobby of the Louisville Rec Center where bright white floors and dark charcoal walls create a simple canvas for design. The accentuated colored skylights draw viewers upstairs, where a central blue “box” builds a sense of community through group exercise. This blue accent flows from the box to the floor through patterned lines that expand outwards towards the full height exterior windows. The cardio equipment is positioned strategically, facing views of the Rocky Mountains and transporting users to the surrounding sense of nature.

The natatorium also takes advantage of the view with expansive glass and an operable connection from the indoor pool and whirlpool to the outdoor deck and splash pad. The success of interiors is achieved through maintaining the white and charcoal canvas, balancing the wandering colorful accents, and welcoming the inspiration of the encompassing environment.