The City of Bend Parks and Recreation District’s primary goal for the Larkspur Community Center renovation and addition was to add a multigenerational recreation center to the existing Bend Senior Center while continuing to offer seniors a place over which they still had ownership. To accomplish this, the addition required a thoughtful approach to tie the two buildings together while still providing the seniors with a space of their own.
The modern and transparent expansion provides a comprehensive complement to the Senior Center, including 5,600 square feet of new fitness space, a three-lane run/walk track, two group exercise classrooms, a multipurpose classroom, a natatorium with locker rooms, and a new lobby with a café and lounge. The 10,000-square-foot natatorium features a single body of water that includes four lap lanes, a shallow depth training/class area, a lazy river and a soaking tub. The renovations provide additional offices, a break room, and new finishes for the existing multipurpose spaces.
Set in an existing park and inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds the city, the project was designed to bring the outdoors in. All spaces feature views of nature and in contrast with the introverted existing facility, the building turns itself inside out, making its programs visible and accessible from the outside. The pool looks out to the park, the fitness classrooms open up to gardens, and the second-floor fitness space features wall-to-wall glass that frames the mountains of the Cascade Range.
Thrive