Auburn University Recreation and Wellness Center | Auburn, Ala.
The Auburn University Recreation and Wellness Center wowed judges with its signature element, a crisscrossing, corkscrewing walking/jogging track believed to be the longest (at one-third of a mile) of its kind in the country.
More than one judge marveled at how designers made a long building footprint seem cohesive, with the track receiving most of the credit for this unifying effect. With its ability to offer users a variety of routes, the track ramps up, down and around activity spaces, including a two-level fitness atrium, two separate gyms and a climbing tower. The overall experience is of smaller neighborhoods of activity within a larger city grid.
One judge, who had visited the project in person, simply stated, “The best recreation facility of the year.”
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Judges’ Comments:
The jogging track really pulls the interior together.
— Colleen McKenna
Impressive in its sheer scale and scope, the project is also full of well-crafted details and attention to value and space.
— Stephen Springs
Outstanding insertion of contemporary forms and volumes into a campus aesthetic.
— Bill Baker
ARCHITECT OF RECORD
360 Architecture | Kansas City, Mo.
Aquatic Design Engineer
Counsilman-Hunsaker | St. Louis, Mo.
Cost: $54 million
Square Footage: 240,000
Funded By: Student fees
Major Facility Components: Two- and four-court gymnasiums, fitness atrium, fitness studios, walking/jogging track, climbing tower, outdoor pool
More 2014 Facilities of Merit:
Chinguacousy Sports Park Redevelopment | Audley Recreation Centre
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