A simple addition to the aging Dartmouth College boathouse became an opportunity to strengthen the connection of the rowing team to the Connecticut River landscape.
Originally built in 1986, Dartmouth College’s boathouse is a traditional crew facility and was designed as a social space, rather than a training center. The renovation to the existing boathouse, with enhanced ventilation and dehumidification, as well as the addition of a 7,000-square-foot training facility, allows the 120 student-athletes on the crew teams to work out simultaneously in a fully dehumidified space with enhanced acoustics, ample light and natural ventilation.
The challenge was to develop a new building and training facility that was sympathetic to the existing boathouse while maintaining a distinct architectural identity that reflected the building use. The addition features state-of-the art rowing tanks that simulate the current of the Connecticut River. The tanks will help Dartmouth rowers improve conditioning, refine their technique, and fine-tune skills in advance of the spring rowing season in February — a time of year when rowers at many other universities are already practicing on open water, but the Connecticut River is often still covered by ice.
Large operable windows and doors provide natural ventilation and expansive views to create a direct visual connection to the water and an exterior terrace, where rowing machines can be located for an immersive workout amidst a spectacular landscape.
ARCHITECT OF RECORD
ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge
Boston, Mass.
PROJECT VENDORS
| Fitness Center - Flooring, Fitness Center | Mats Inc. Decathlon |
