Completion Date:     10/15/2014

Square Footage:      95000

Building Use:           Student Recreation Center

Location:                 Pomona, California

Project Description:

ELIGIBLE FOR C.O.T.E. AWARD ONLY

Program:
The recently completed Recreation Center is a 95,000 square foot facility. As the last piece to the campus life puzzle, the project was purposely located equally adjacent the three main components to the university: academics, athletics and student housing. Funded by student fees, the $40 million Recreation Center’s program includes a three-court gymnasium, a multi-activity-court (MAC), rock climbing wall, weight and fitness areas, several multi-purpose rooms, racquetball courts and a running track.
Design Intent:
The challenge was to accommodate a large program on an awkwardly shaped site; bound by easements, setbacks and challenging topography; with less than optimal orientation.
The design solution used these site limitations as driving forces to actually shape the building; by maximizing the footprint, extruding up, and expanding horizontally once above the constraints.
Neighboring sports facilities on campus were notorious for their lack of connection to the exterior and the design team wanted to shift away from this paradigm of introvert buildings. The Recreation Center frames and makes a direct connection to the adjacent campus quad and privileged views beyond by opening up to them, visually with a façade primarily composed of protected glazing. The building opens at the intersection of major pedestrian paths converging at the building’s entry with a naturally ventilated lobby that acts as a transition between the conditioned interior spaces beyond. A 50’ high climbing wall works as a sculptural element marking the terminus of campus pedestrian walkways.
The building cantilevers shade the lower floors while fritted glass fins protect the generously glazed upper floor from direct sunlight. This augmented transparency allows the Recreation Center to become a human billboard of student activity. The building’s exterior skin further defines the stratification of the form with materials already found on campus: natural stone anchoring the base [earth] and stainless steel panels and glass touching and reflecting the sky.
An integrated design approach, where all involved disciplines informed the process, allowed numerous sustainable design strategies to be introduced such as displacement ventilation, natural daylighting, natural ventilation and solar control. The project has achieved LEED Gold certification.

Sustainable Features
• LEED Gold project
• 31.3% more efficient than Title-24
• 100% naturally daylit gymnasium spaces with direct and indirect lighting and controls
• Optimization of access to daylight and views to the exterior.
• Naturally ventilated lobby with operable windows.
• Energy Star cool roof kept free of mechanical equipment.
• Roof designed with infrastructure for 500kw photovoltaic array; enough to offset 30% of building’s energy use.
• 100% of stormwater collected and polished via bioswales.
• Native and water efficient landscaping with reclaimed water for irrigation.
• Water efficient plumbing fixtures.
• Integration with campus chilled water loop and energy management systems.
• 80% of Construction waste diverted from landfills.
• Use of recycled content and locally produced materials.
• Use of FSC certified wood products and low-emitting materials and finishes.
• Integration of indoor pollutant source control measures.
• Solar heating system in place for pool and thermal pool blankets reduce evaporative water and energy use.

C.O.T.E. | Committee on the Environment

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