NIRSA facility feature: North Carolina State University Wellness and Recreation Center

NIRSA’s Outstanding Facilities Awards recognize excellence in newly constructed or renovated recreational facilities on college and university campuses. Recipients of this award have demonstrated their commitment to the wellbeing of their campus communities by providing top-notch facilities which meet their users’ needs, support the campus mission, and contain unique features such as innovative architecture or advances in sustainability. North Carolina State University’s Wellness and Recreation Center, a 2022 Outstanding Facility Award recipient, provides a central location for all the campus’ wellness and recreation activities in a functional, accessible facility.

Located in Raleigh, NC State is home to more 37,000 students. Through the facilities and programs offered by the Wellness and Recreation Center, these individuals have opportunities to participate not only in physical fitness activities, but also initiatives with campus partners such as wellness coaching and nutrition programs. In their award application, NC State referred to the Wellness and Recreation Center as “the ultimate game-changer,” allowing them to meet the needs of the entire campus community. In a typical year, the university’s recreation and wellness facilities are utilized by more than 80% of undergraduates and 55% of graduate students. The facility is also one of the largest student employers on campus with more than 750 student employees.

“Winning the NIRSA Outstanding Facilities Award helps us celebrate the commitment our students have to Wellness and Recreation at NC State. Student voices were instrumental in funding and designing the facility and their inspiration created something very special for future students,” says Eric Hawkes, Executive Director of Wellness and Recreation at NC State University. “The work we do has never been more important and investing in new facility spaces allows us to better meet the needs of all students,” he adds.

About the Wellness and Recreation Center

The Wellness and Recreation Center was designed to connect several formerly disjointed buildings into a single 84,500-square-foot structure which provides a welcoming environment in a highly visible campus location. By interconnecting the facilities in this way, the Wellness and Recreation Center provides a unified working location for all Recreation and Human Exercise Science staff and gives its members access to a wide variety of activities in a single location. A person entering the Wellness and Recreation Center can rent equipment (such as kayaks, camping gear, or yard games) for an outdoor adventure, test their skills on the indoor climbing wall, participate in a group fitness program, lift weights, or talk to a wellness coach about topics such as the importance of sleep or how to manage their time.

The facility also features a fitness circuit which includes a sprint ramp, an outdoor terrace which encourages users to get some fresh air while participating in fitness activities, and a teaching kitchen where members can attend nutrition programs taught by registered dietitians. The building was designed to provide maximum flexibility, allowing individuals to utilize the spaces in multiple ways and allowing for the future incorporation of new trends.

Technology is incorporated throughout the facility—hands-free turnstiles provide access while digital signage is used to reserve spaces. Additionally, classrooms are equipped with the capability to record and live stream programs.

Sustainability

The Wellness and Recreation Center has achieved LEED Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. To achieve this certification, a building must undergo a review process during which it is given credits for environmentally friendly design considerations such as energy reduction, the use of renewable resources, and indoor environmental quality. Sustainable features considered when designing the facility include:

• Utilizing a previously developed site rather than an undeveloped area
• Incorporating floor-to-ceiling windows that provide excellent views while reducing the need for supplemental lighting
• Using reclaimed wood in some of the building’s design elements
• Including native landscape plants that provide wildlife habitat and require less irrigation than non-natives
• Cooling the building with refrigerants that do not contribute to ozone depletion
• Providing users with composting and recycling collection bins throughout the building
• Using environmentally friendly cleaning practices

Inclusion

The Wellness and Recreation Center was designed to meet the needs of all members of the campus community, providing an inclusive and welcoming environment.

The facility is located centrally on campus, with no steps to navigate at the first or second level entries. Once indoors, multiple elevators allow users to navigate throughout, and an ADA compliant lift provides pool access. Cardio equipment for individuals who use wheelchairs is available, and personal trainers and group fitness instructors also customize programs to meet users’ needs.

“We recognize that walking into a wellness and recreation center can be intimidating so we worked hard to create spaces where people feel like they belong,” says Eric Hawkes. “One strategy to support this effort was the creation of our five private fitness studios,” he explains. Located adjacent to one of NC State’s popular fitness neighborhoods, these small studios allow for individuals or small groups to exercise in a private setting. Studios have a variety of equipment located inside the rooms that include benches, dumbbells, stability balls, mats, spin bikes and more. The studios include TV monitors where users can access virtual training programs or connect their own devices to stream their own workouts or entertainment.

The Wellness and Recreation Center contains single occupant restrooms and locker rooms in addition to the private fitness studios. Wellness coaching is available for users who might need assistance determining how to best use the facility based on their unique needs. “Our five private studios allow for individuals to reserve rooms for up to one hour with our online reservation system. Each room has a variety of personal use equipment available for users,” explains Shannon DuPree, Director of Wellness at NC State University.

“NC State’s Wellness and Recreation Center was designed to unify the campus community and consolidate recreation offerings,” says Macrina Abdouch, project architect at HOK. “One of the ways we accomplished this was to use color to visually connect the floors. A custom handrail, finished in NC State’s distinctive red, weaves the space together and creates a unifying design element across floors and program areas,” Macriana adds.

About the Architects

The Wellness and Recreation Center was designed by HOK in collaboration with CRA Associates. HOK is a global design, architecture, engineering, and planning firm with 26 offices spanning three continents. In 2022, HOK was named one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential Companies and one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies. HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice designs world-class facilities that are centerpieces of vibrant campuses, communities, and districts.

Recent notable collegiate recreation facilities include Nicholas Recreation Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (in association with Workshop Architects), Louisiana State University Recreation Center (a joint venture with GraceHebert Architects), and the University of Mississippi’s South Campus Recreation Facility (in association with JBHM Architecture). HOK’s deep commitment to sustainability is reflected in more than 400 green building certified projects and plans to achieve a carbon-neutral design portfolio by 2030.

CRA Associates focuses on projects based in North Carolina, including numerous athletic projects for colleges and universities within the state. As with HOK, CRA is committed to sustainable design practices such as the use of natural light, the collection of rainwater, and the installation of solar panels.

About NIRSA’s Outstanding Facilities Awards

The annual NIRSA Outstanding Facilities Awards recognize the innovative designs of new, renovated, or expanded collegiate recreational facilities of NIRSA member institutions. Winning facilities are considered a standard by which other campus recreation facilities should be measured, and from which others can benefit.

Applications for the 2024 class of NIRSA Outstanding Facilities Award recipients will open in the fall of 2023. Eligibility guidelines, selection criteria, and entry fee details can be found on the NIRSA website.