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

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.