York College seized an opportunity to address its growth needs by expanding its campus into a former industrial zone, using the key parcel as a link between its main campus to the east and a growing residential campus to the west. Anchoring this new development is the Grumbacher Sport and Fitness Center, which accommodates both the college?s student fitness and intercollegiate athletics programs.
A long interior ?Main Street? bisects the building, providing a logical continuation of the pedestrian path that connects the two campuses. Students passing through the light-filled building can glimpse virtually all activities taking place. The major two-story spaces ? the natatorium, arena and field house ? are situated along one side of the concourse and are capped by a curved roof featuring custom-designed steel trusses and skylights. The unique form of the trusses gives these spaces a distinctive character, while the skylights flood them with natural daylight. Two levels of smaller program spaces grace the opposite side of ?Main Street,? which is punctuated at its midpoint by a dramatic three-story climbing wall.
Green-building strategies included designing to incorporate natural light, the careful selection of interior materials and the recycling of structural components from industrial buildings that were demolished to clear the site.