Related Articles
Recreation Center – The University of Wisconsin-Madison Nicholls Recreation Center and the University of Mississippi South Campus Recreation Center have been recognized by the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) as 2021 Outstanding Facilities winners.
The annual awards recognize new buildings, renovations and expansions that demonstrate excellence in architectural design, function and creativity while enhancing the higher education experience for students. The projects, designed by the Sports + Leisure + Entertainment Institute, were chosen to demonstrate innovation in the design of leisure facilities.
Recreation Center
The new Nichols Recreation Center (above and below), opening in fall 2020, offers a wealth of health and wellness opportunities to the University of Wisconsin-Madison community. Completed in partnership with Workshop, the new recreation center replaced the Southeast Recreation Facility (SERF). Open fitness areas, central staircases and extensive use of internal glass all improve connectivity and help users navigate the five-story building. A direct view between the open fitness area and the new natatorium strengthens the connection between the two spaces.
Imperial Park Recreation Center (iprc)
The program responds to current fitness trends with 30,000 square feet of space dedicated to strength, cardio and functional fitness; a gymnasium with eight basketball courts containing multiple uses; five gymnasiums; areas for comprehensive health programming; a multi-level indoor track with a view of the Capitol; racquetball courts; grass area; offices; classrooms; and an Olympic pool with a separate diving well and seating for 1,000 spectators.
The design of the South Campus Recreation Center at Ole Miss (below) transformed an abandoned Whirlpool manufacturing plant into a new center for fitness, health and recreation. The warehouse space previously consisted of panels tilted up. The design team, which included JBHM Architecture, opened these with a dramatic curtain wall that showcases the activity taking place within.
With an indoor climbing wall as the centerpiece of the space, the programming includes a 25,000-square-foot fitness area, three fitness studios, two basketball courts, a multi-activity court, a track, a classroom demonstration kitchen, a convenience store and offices. There are dedicated spaces for health education, outdoor programming and personal training. Two intramural sports fields, sports clubs and informal recreation are adjacent to the facility, which serves as a campus transportation hub connecting the site to Ole Miss’ main campus. Every city has its problems. Increasing crime rates, expanding waistlines, shrinking sense of community – the list could go on and on, from poverty among our citizens to a developing environmental crisis. And while there is no single cure for everything that ails us, there are organizations that have consistently succeeded in addressing social problems. Our nation’s community recreation centers have proven to be the remedy for a variety of local and national issues. For example, according to the National Park and Recreation Association, U.S. parks and recreation systems feed more than 560 million meals to children each year through lunch and summer programs. This makes them the second largest feeder of children nationally behind schools. Studies have also shown that children who spend at least four Hours per week of structured activities, including those found in recreation center after-school programs, were 57% less likely to drop out of school and 27% less likely to be arrested.
These numbers speak to a small but significant part of what community recreation centers and parks can do to fill gaps in the way a municipality serves its citizens. Community recreational activities performed in parks and recreational facilities have been shown to improve the mental health of citizens, and the presence of these places has been shown to increase community interaction. During the corona epidemic, this became crucial because many recreation centers became not only a place to seek respite through physical activity, they also provided spaces for e-learning.
Campus Recreation Center East (crce)
There is no denying the role that recreation centers can play in providing solutions to a myriad of problems in our communities. Unfortunately, since the Great Recession of 2008, community recreation has been underfunded and has had to fight for budget dollars and positive public perception and fight against increased competition from the private sector. However, through our work with thousands of communities across the country, we have seen that planning and execution can conquer the most challenging environment. In this two-part guide, we provide nine critical steps to creating a plan that will maximize the impact of your community recreation center.
It all starts with a vision. For a recreation center, a vision serves as the yardstick against which all decisions, initiatives, programming and partnerships are balanced. Large community recreation centers have a formal vision for how they want to serve their end users—about the ways they want to integrate within their communities. Their vision is not produced by one person, but reflects both the wishes of the residents and the master plan of the city. This alignment ensures that their decisions reflect the wishes of the community members and decision makers.
Pro tip: Recreation centers ultimately belong to the citizens of your community. It is important not only to get their input at the beginning of the development process, but even beyond the development phase of the facilities. Communities are constantly evolving and what was once important can change quickly and profoundly. It’s also good to create a vision statement and post it on your website as a reminder of what your facility is working to achieve.
Your parks and recreation system probably has a master plan document. While this is important, it is helpful to have a master plan specific to your facility that aligns with the larger master plan and the needs of your community. The plan should also align with the facility’s vision, mission and needs, as well as lay out long-term goals and strategy.
Newton Recreation Centre
, a landmark report from The Trust for Public Land, the most effective master plans have the following elements that can be widely implemented in a community recreation center master plan:
Throughout this guide, we will continually address the importance of community support and involvement when it comes to building and maintaining a recreation center. And how a lack of community support can render your facility irrelevant. A strong recreation center has a community behind it that not only uses the facility and participates in the programming but also voices their opinions about what that programming should be. Strong recreation centers also have volunteers dedicated to the success of the facility.
There are several ways to gather community support and engagement, including surveys, community open houses, and meetings with key stakeholders. Also, consider partner organizations. The school district, local corporations, hospitals, and faith-based organizations can offer valuable information and, ultimately, be an important community ally.
Pro tip: Community engagement isn’t just about concerned citizens. Engagement with the business and non-profit communities is also critical to the success of a recreation center. Recreation centers should actively seek relationships with local businesses that not only provide financial support, but also volunteers and services that maintain the facility or enhance its offerings.
Delbrook Community Recreation Centre
It goes without saying that large entertainment centers are within the reach of all citizens. There are several areas to consider when assessing accessibility. The first is proximity – how far do most citizens have to travel to get to your entertainment center? A five minute walk? Five minutes drive? Ideally, it should be the first. However, in order for all citizens to have an amazing community recreation center nearby, a careful assessment of where the properties are located must be done. This is to ensure that disadvantaged or sparsely populated areas are not left out.
Accessibility means that your properties also comply with the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A variety of features must be installed, including ramps, railings in bathrooms and special seating for event facilities, among others.
Pro tip: Accessibility also means that your recreation center provides equipment and programming to meet a variety of interests. Whether you’re the mom with one in a stroller and one to hold your hand, the senior looking to stay active, or the budding athlete, your recreation center should have something to support their interests. For example, the Hoover Met complex hosts major events including the SEC baseball championship, but on a daily basis hosts hundreds of people on their walking trails and children through their summer camps.
For steps 5-9, see Part 2 of this guide. For more information about our vacation planning services, contact us today at 727-474-3845.
Johnson Park Recreation Center
The development of “hybrid” sports tourism facilities and community recreation facilities increased by 33% – a sign of significant change for the future of parks and recreation. The design process followed the City of Surrey’s Sustainable Design Charter, but also served as a pilot project for the architects to evaluate this alternative green building rating system.
The architect’s challenge was to develop a design character that would set the precedent for the entire area as the neighborhood developed. Located along a main north-south artery and adjacent to the existing entrance arch of the fairgrounds, the 6,000 square meter, two-story building is a prominent community landmark.
The inciting concept of the building was
Muskingum recreation center, recreation, kettering recreation center, nyc recreation center membership, pool recreation center, jewish recreation center, recreation center gymnastics, jcc recreation center, the hub recreation center, ymca recreation center, senior citizen recreation center, senior recreation center
