The Wallace Creek Fitness Center was borne of a need to augment fitness capabilities at Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune. The design-build project team, including the facility’s end-user, visited numerous universities in North Carolina to come up with a design concept that functionally and aesthetically met the needs of the well-deserving active-duty Marines, sailors and their families, while respecting the environment. The center is designed to meet LEED Platinum standards.
A grand entry provides a clear sense of entrance to the various elements of the facility. The check-in counter serves as a central control point and provides direct access and visual oversight of the main corridor, gymnasium, group exercise rooms, fitness space, wellness space (SMART Clinic and personal trainers), pool and locker rooms. The climbing wall provides an immediate visual impact, as well as houses a central staircase and elevator within its interior, maximizing use of a typically vacant space.
The exterior facade recalls the base’s rich history, with walls consisting of 91?4-inch-thick concrete tilt-wall panels (constructed on site) and red brick cladding with sand-colored brick and split-face accents. The 24-gauge standing-seam metal panel roof matches Wallace Creek’s regimental complex with traditional hip and gable end facades to capture the spirit and character of Camp Lejeune.