CONESTOGA COLLEGE STUDENT RECREATION CENTRE Kitchener / Ontario / Canada
BACKGROUND Conestoga College recognized their aging 40-year-old athletic facility was not meeting current needs and expectations of students. A redevelopment was crucial to the attraction and retention of students. The existing facility housed a gymnasium and an underutilized arena. A campus survey indicated only one-percent of students used the ice and a need for additional gymnasium space for team sport, recreation, intramural, and campus convocation, as well as new fitness and social space. The transformation into a vibrant fitness, wellness, and student activity complex is in harmony with ‘fitness for life’ goals of modern academic institutions over the traditional pursuit of pure athletics.
ORIGINAL CAMPUS AND BUILDING AERIAL
EXISTING CONDITIONS
ORIGINAL HOCKEY ARENA
ORIGINAL GYMNASIUM
ADAPTIVE RE-USE THE PROJECT RENOVATES & EXPANDS AN EXISTING AGING FACILITY TO ENHANCE STUDENT-LIFE ON CAMPUS AND PROMOTE ACTIVE LIVING.
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The initial project brief called for demolition of the existing arena with a new pre-engineered building to house a new gymnasium and fitness space. The design team’s planning research determined the existing double parabola roof complex could be re-purposed at less cost with the former arena space adaptively reused for additional gymnasia. The main entry is reoriented to the campus, fronted by a new lantern-like addition of fitness and student programming, and a new student plaza connecting the new building to its campus. The new configuration retains the iconic bold form of the original complex while the expansion presents a new lighter face to the campus.
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1. Main Entrance 2. Existing Arena 3. Existing Substation 4. Existing Pedestrian Bridge 5. Existing Gymnasium
CURRENT
1. New Entrance 2. Renovated Arena and Modified Roof 3. New Construction 4. Renovated Gymnasium 5. Landscaped Forecourt
RENOVATION ADAPTIVELY REUSED NEW BUILD
THE MAIN ENTRY IS REORIENTED TO THE CAMPUS, FRONTED BY THE NEW LANTERN-LIKE ADDITION OF FITNESS AND A NEW STUDENT PLAZA — CONNECTING THE NEW BUILDING TO ITS CAMPUS.
The redesign updates the existing gym, adaptively reuses the arena with a new triple-gym and track, and a large student commons and classrooms at the second-level concourse. The new front addition contains a large welcoming reception, wellness centre, therapy rooms, and student rooms, and secondlevel fitness centre and multipurpose studios. The fully glazed addition of fitness and multipurpose studios is suspended over the student plaza providing a covered outdoor public space. A green roofed canopy connects the adjacent academic building and replaces a seldom-used open overhead walkway.
Renovation New Build
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NEW ENTRY
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FIRST FLOOR PLAN
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1. New Entrance GROUND FLOOR 1 New Entrance 2 Triple Gymnasium of Arena) 2. (Adaptive Triple Reuse Gymnasium 3 Mechanical 3. Mechanical 4 Existing Substation 5 Renovated Gymnasium 4. Existing Substation 6 Men’s Changerooms 5. Renovated Gymnasium 7 Women’s Changerooms 8 Universal Changerooms 6. Male Changerooms 9 Dividers for Conversion to Varsity Rooms 10 Wellness Centre 11 Welcome Desk 12 Storage
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
7. Female Changerooms 8. Universal Changerooms 9. Wellness Centre 10. Administration / Welcome Desk 11. Storage
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12. Multipurpose Studios SECOND FLOOR 13 Multipurpose Studios 14 Fitness Centre 13. Fitness Centre 15 Mezzanine Seating 14. Mezzanine Seating 16 Food Services 17 Washrooms15. Food Services 18 Lounge 19 Running Track 20 Collapsible Bleachers
16. Washrooms 17. Lounge 18. Running Track 19. Collapseable Bleachers
SUSTAINABILITY The primary sustainable initiative is retaining and renovating the existing arena shell. This not only saves on capital costs, it retains a very beautiful and useful shell that is successfully re-purposed. The existing areas are re-roofed and insulated for increased thermal performance. The renovation introduces natural light throughout the new gymnasium and running track to greatly reduce electrical lighting load. All glazing utilizes ceramic frit patterns to manage solar gain and all lighting is replaced or designed with LED. The new plaza is designed with bio-swale planting beds to manage all hard surface runoff without the need for stormwater sewer connections.
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