Located on a 10-acre parcel featuring a remnant, second-growth forest of 80-year-old Douglas firs, the Firstenburg Community Center represents “a tour de force of sustainability,” as one panelist put it. The center’s one-story community wing features places for group activities and socializing organized along a main circulation spine. Upstairs, a glass-encased exercise pavilion forms an entrance loggia that, at night, functions as an illuminated billboard of activity. Behind, the high-bay recreation volume houses the gymnasium and natatorium, and features an undulating roofline that optimizes natural ventilation and echoes the contour of the surrounding forest. The recreation wing’s corrugated zincaluminum exterior further complements the dark backdrop of trees.
In pursuit of LEED® Gold certification, designers employed numerous greenbuilding strategies, including the specification of recycled and renewable materials such as bamboo and wheatboard. While the site’s significant tree stands were preserved, diseased or weak trees were milled and re-integrated into the project. Thus, exposed wood finishes not only bear a distinctly regional character, they also create a direct connection to the site.
Judge's Comments
The exterior expression masterfully plays
simple solid and transparent surfaces
against each other, not only articulating
the interior function but also providing a
restrained energy to the building.
— Tom Betti
Excellent use of green materials and a
solid, sustainable approach to recreation
facilities.
— Dave Hammel
The daylighting and layering of space is
quite beautiful, and the level of integration
of sustainable features demonstrates that
sustainable design can be successfully
applied to public recreation projects.
— Tom Scarlata
Kenyon College - Kenyon Athletic Center
