The recently unveiled Recreation and Athletic Center at St. Edward’s University has been designed with a focus on holistic well-being.
The 12,400-sf addition to the existing facility, originally built in the mid 1980s, features new fitness and wellness facilities such as a yoga studio, a wellness center, and a meditation center with an openness and connection to the environment that is centered in the middle of the campus.
Credit Andrea Calo.
The addition wraps the campus-facing side of the facility and is for use by the entire student body and faculty rather than for athletes only. A portion of the building extends out toward the heart of the campus and incorporates outdoor “stadium type” seating facing a new plaza where performance and presentation will take place. The plaza was created where a parking lot once existed and creates a new pedestrian-oriented active space.
See Also: Sacred Heart University to build $60 million hockey arena
The yoga/studio space is the focal point of the new facility and has been designed as a glass cube that floats above the entry plaza. It is located at one end of the main campus green and provides an inviting new presence at a corner of the campus that was previously dark and under-occupied.
Credit Andrea Calo.
Credit Andrea Calo.
Chelsea Purgahn/St. Edward’s University ®.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Aug 16, 2016
New images of Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts revealed by Michael Maltzan Architecture
The arts center will foster creativity for making and presenting works across all disciplines
| Aug 10, 2016
UNIVERSITY GIANTS: Facing money woes, the nation's colleges double down on innovative ideas
Budget constraints are compelling some public institutions to pursue alternative methods of financing their major building projects.
| Aug 9, 2016
Top 70 University Engineering Firms
AECOM, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, and Jacobs top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest university sector engineering and E/A firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 9, 2016
Top 100 University Construction Firms
Turner Construction Co., The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co, and Skanska USA top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest university sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 9, 2016
Top 100 University Architecture Firms
Gensler, Perkins+Will, and CannonDesign top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest university sector architecture and A/E firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
University Buildings | Aug 5, 2016
How to design the best dining facilities for Millennial students
Location, visibility, and adaptability are three important ideas to keep in mind when designing campus dining spaces, writes Gresham Smith and Partners’ Patrick Gilbert.
University Buildings | Jul 22, 2016
Fast-growing UC Merced will double in size by 2020
The state’s Board of Regents has approved a $1.34 billion plan that would add nearly 1.2 million sf of new space.
University Buildings | Jul 6, 2016
University housing of the future will blend life and study
Universities across the country are striving to meet the demand of on-campus housing. VOA's Steve Siegle examines what students and universities desire in campus living, and how designers can respond.
University Buildings | Jun 13, 2016
Renovated Drexel University academic building will welcome students with front porch
A large screen sets a living room vibe for the Philadelphia academic building. Plans call for 9,000 sf of common space on the inside and a new quad on the outside.
University Buildings | Jun 13, 2016
Universities infuse tech features into learning, living, and shopping spaces
Virtual learning rooms, gaming stations, and self-check-out kiosks are among the perks—and necessities—that have all become commonplace in college campus design.
