2014 Facilities of Merit: Auburn University Recreation and Wellness Center

Details
by AB Editors
September 2014

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.”

View the full photo gallery>>

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

The 2014 Athletic Business® Facilities of Merit™ awards were selected by a panel of sports and recreation facility architects during two days of judging in Madison, Wis. The 10 winners are being announced during these two weeks, and profiles of all 10 will appear in the November issue ofAthletic Business. The awards will be presented to the facility owners and architects at the Athletic Business Conference & Expo in Orlando on Friday, Nov. 14.

 

Related Content

New Product Roundup: Fitness | Safety | Scoring

Check out the newest products as seen in the July | August 2019 issue.

read more
Community Proposal Could Save Degrading YMCA After 74 years of operation, the YMCA of Sarasota, Fla., was set to close its doors in September of this year, with president and CEO Steve Bourne telling the Herald Tribune that degrading facilities at the Evalyn Sadlier Jones location had become “unsustainable.” read more
What to Consider When Embarking on A High School Branding Strategy

The small, tight-knit community of Elkhorn, Wis., isn't short on pride or support for its schools and athletics programs. The town has passed a pair of referendums over the past five years, approving monies for upgrades to everything from the Elks' academic and common areas in different buildings across the district to gymnasiums, expanded tennis courts, new turf for its football field, and a major practice and fitness facility for the high school called The Agility Center. Each of these projects was approached with an eye toward ensuring that the projects themselves speak for and about "The Herd."

read more
New Equipment, Layout Leads to Increased Fitness Center Use at Hardin-Simmons (Sponsored)

Dr. Edgar Reed wears many hats at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. In addition to overseeing the Dr. Jesse C. and Dorothy J. Fletcher Fitness Center as the director of campus recreation, Reed is also an assistant professor in the school’s Department of Kinesiology, Health and Recreation and a licensed athletic trainer. That wealth of experience was valuable when he worked with a team of architects on designing the new Fletcher Fitness Center, which opened this past October. Athletic Business spoke with Reed about the new space and the equipment HSU chose to fill it.

read more
First Fitness Facility Certified Under WELL Building Standard

Professionals in the athletics, fitness and recreation industries dedicate themselves to building programs that will bring out their clientele's full potential. These programs often take place inside beautifully designed facilities with plenty of amenities — but what if the building itself could help contribute to the goal of improving overall wellness?

read more
Architects Envision the Rec Center of the Future

A July 2005 AB article titled "Imagine Today the Impact on Rec of Tomorrow's Tech" envisioned a "not-too-distant future" scenario of a man approaching his recreation center, the door opening automatically after a scanner detects the chip implanted in his body, and a robot with artificial intelligence regarding the member's attendance history greeting him by name and escorting him to the locker room. The fictional Mr. Allen's "smart" fitness clothes share workout feedback, music selections and email messages.

read more
New Projects: West End Stadium | Stewart Field | Panama City Beach Sports Complex

Breaking Ground

read more
Emerging Rec Center Technology: What Should Be On Your Radar?

When used in the context of recreation and fitness, technology has become a ubiquitous term often describing wearable devices, health apps, facility management software and remote instruction. More recently, the concept of on-demand fitness classes has taken hold at some recreation centers, too, in an effort to help facilities maximize available space by hosting full classes. 

read more