A student recreation center has been developed specifically for student use — instead of being a facility shared with student athletes. The student recreation center facility at Washington State University, Pullman, is one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest and features a comprehensive student weight and cardio-room.
Encouraging interaction while conserving energy through sustainable design was a goal of the designers, as was the challenge of managing the costs and benefits of environmentally friendly elements.
A light-filled lobby serves as a central meeting point within the building and provides visual orientation to each of the activity spaces. The space is accented with marble, slate, hardwood and picture windows. Telecommunications wiring is included so that students can check their e-mail or watch one of 150 television channels. The facility also makes use of clerestories and windows to maximize interior daylight.
A seasonal on-site rainwater retention pond, high-performance windows, recycled rubber for fitness athletic floors and native plants are a few of the environmentally friendly features of the facility.
Other amenities include a large stone fireplace, two gymnasiums, a 17,000-square-foot weightroom, a rubberized eight-mile jogging track suspended over the gym courts, a climbing wall, game courts, a pool and 53-person spa, health-education classrooms and fitness areas.
Yost Grube Hall (Portland, Ore.) designed the project.
For more information on these projects and others, visit www.schooldesigns.com.
