Human Performance Center Interior Design

Academics, recreation and athletics in support of Utah Tech’s strategic mission.

Utah Tech University chose Hastings+Chivetta in association with MHTN to develop a program for the University’s new Human Performance Center. Once the program was approved, the University tapped Hastings+Chivetta and MHTN for the design of the new facility.

The Human Performance Center is the new home for academic programs in Health and Human Performance such as exercise science, sports management and health administration. The facility also provides space for Utah Tech’s joint effort with the University of Utah to offer physical and occupational therapy degrees.

In addition to these academic opportunities, the Center serves campus recreation, intramural, and athletic needs. Recreation components include a fitness center with cardio, weights, and functional training, a track, two-court gymnasium, multi-activity courts, and a climbing wall. A unique component of this project is the rooftop recreation area. Amenities include pickleball courts, basketball courts, and an indoor outdoor track that will circle the roof and continue indoors via a sprint track.

A new 50-meter swimming pool is the only pool in Southern Utah that conforms to NCAA Division II standards. The pool is open to the public during non-academic hours and available for local and regional events.

The facility represents the next major step in showcasing Utah Tech University’s “Active Learning. Active Life” strategic plan.

Integrating four buildings from different eras into one Student Recreation Complex on the Missouri flagship campus resulted in a 290,000-SF award-winning facility that blends new construction with renovation to create a home for campus recreation as well as world-class aquatic offerings.

Home to the Tigers swimming and diving teams as well as a number of campus and community swim clubs, Missouri’s state-of-the-art aquatic center is one of the largest and most comprehensive competitive swimming and diving venues in the nation. Attracting top-quality meets and championships, the facility features a range of components:

Olympic-Sized 50-Meter by 25-Yard Competition Pool
Separate Diving Well
Diving Tower With 1, 3, 5, 7½ and 10-Meter Diving
1,500 Seat Spectator Gallery
Two Bulkheads
Moveable Floor
Warm-Water Spa
Specialized Timing/Display System

Missouri’s pool is the classic deep water swimming pool with 9’ deep water, wide lanes, and a custom deep water gutter system. The use of a movable bottom has provided greater flexibility for classes, intramurals, and recreation users but has also benefited varsity athletics during training exercises.

The Tiger Grotto, a custom-designed indoor leisure pool, is flanked by life-like palms, rockscapes, a large screen television and a waterfall that cascades into the whirlpool. The sauna and steam safari shacks have corrugated metal roofs and the hot tub can hold more than twenty people. The Mizzou Beach Club is open-air swimming featuring a bubble pool, beach entry and a raised hearth fireplace.

Academics, recreation and athletics in support of the University’s strategic mission.

The facility represents the next major step in showcasing Utah Tech University’s “Active Learning. Active Life” strategic plan.

The new 4,700-seat Arena at the University of Idaho serves as the home for Vandal men’s and women’s basketball as well as a gathering place for a variety of events to enhance student life including special concerts, academic conferences and other student events.

Built on the north side of the Kibbie Dome, the new Arena has the potential to take the Vandal basketball teams to a new level of national attention and interest. The new venue has already rallied fan excitement, strengthened recruiting and placed the University’s athletic facilities on par with other Division I universities.

Designed as a multi-event and court sports facility, the Arena provides a vibrant and intimate experience for fans. The facility includes the main Vandal home court, practice court, men’s and women’s locker rooms, conference space, suites, concessions, media room as well as coaching and staff offices.

The University received a highly-competitive Wood Innovation Grant to make timber and mass timber construction a focal point of the project. The Arena is the first signature wood facility of its size in the state. It also serves as a learning laboratory for students in forestry, engineering and more.

The Arena is a showpiece for the University of Idaho’s student-athletes; telling the story of Idaho’s heritage and providing a unique gathering place for generations of Vandals to come.

Transparent design and innovative features drive campus fitness.

The E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center is a 108,000-square-foot, four-story fitness facility that reflects modern trends, student needs and innovative design as well as the generosity of Nevada citizens. It features the latest in Cross-fit training equipment, stationary fitness equipment, weightlifting and other strength training equipment in addition to flexible spaces for Pilates, yoga, Zumba and aerobics. There is a 200-meter, 1/8th-mile elevated running track wrapped around a 3-court basketball gymnasium adjacent to a unique set of indoor “stadium stairs.” The facility has office areas for fitness leaders and staff plus standard amenities like lockers and shower rooms. Below ground is an 85-space parking garage, added to replace metered parking in that location.

To maintain efficiency while using maximum natural lighting, the facility was designed with a range of strategies to provide views, control glare and conserve energy. The exterior utilizes high-performance glass to maximize transparency for views and minimizing heat loss and solar heat gain. Use of energy efficient light fixtures greatly reduced energy usage below code allowances. Automatic control of fixtures through a building energy management system as well as by daylight sensors and occupancy sensors also contribute to additional energy savings. High-performance wall and roof envelopes were used to maximize energy conservation which was achieved with continuous air barrier and insulation minimizing heat transfer.

University students voted to approve a fee to help build the Fitness Center. The cost was also supported with gifts from community foundations and individuals, capital funds and state tax bonds. The building is named for Edwin L. Wiegand, an entrepreneur and inventor whose foundation, established after his passing, has given over $50,000,000 to Nevada projects and causes.

A state-of-the-art fitness center benefits the University, helping them compete for top talent across the country and the world – surveys show that amenities like fitness facilities attract and retain high-performing students. It also was designed with input from students, to support their needs and reflect current knowledge in an ever-evolving fitness industry. Studies prove the connection between good physical health and learning. Having a place to access the latest equipment and training techniques is important to UNR students – over 4,000 of them (there are 21,000 students total) used the facility on its first day of operation.

The new 72,400 SF Bow Creek Recreation Center replaces a 50-year-old facility with a modern and sustainable building. The new center offers the community world-class amenities and top-notch programs and classes. The modern facade of the new building is anchored by a concrete masonry base. The angled roof plane rises and falls over the structure in direct contrast with the level landscape. Anchored metal panels are a colorful contrast to the organic masonry. Large spans of glass provide transparency into major activity components and simplify visitor orientation and wayfinding. The building plan is organized in an “L” shape with the main entry, and separate activity areas for seniors, youth and children are grouped on one side of the natatorium. Locker rooms and gymnasia are grouped on the other side. The upper level incorporates an aerobics/dance studio and fitness center. The new center features an indoor swimming pool, expanded cardio/weight training area with group fitness studio, indoor double gym, youth game room, meeting rooms and classroom space for early childhood programs. Also included in the design is a separate golf pro shop, snack bar, and a golf cart storage facility. Aquatic amenities include:

5,000 SF indoor leisure pool
¾-meter diving board
Drop slide
Four 25-yard lap lanes
Zero entry
Kiddie slide
Deep water aquatic exercise equipment

The facility is LEED certified and provides the owner substantial energy savings through geothermal mechanical system and more. The design team considered indoor air quality when selecting products and materials, and pursued exemplary performance points for on-site stream restoration to treat Bow Creek neighborhood storm water runoff.

The University’s historic Cope and Stewardson Field House has been transformed into a 21st century fitness, athletic and recreation center. Completed in 1902, it is a registered historic landmark and was the site of the 1904 Olympics, the first Olympic games held outside of Europe. The new Recreation Center, created through the addition and renovation of the Field House, is an innovative, modern facility that honors its legacy.

A 1980s addition on the north side of the Field House created a visual distraction from its character. Designers wrapped the northern addition and the new southern addition in a glass-enclosed colonnade featuring masonry piers capped with restored Indiana limestone. This approach respects the architectural integrity of the original structure with an interpretive design that honors its historic context.

The original entry was restored as the main access point to revitalize the arrival experience. Existing half-level floor plates were removed to create a multi-story space through which a bridge, surfaced with hardwood salvaged from the original gymnasium floor, connects old and new and serves as the primary access point for every-day use. The entrance leads to the open, three-story fitness center and is flanked by multipurpose fitness spaces, a spinning studio and a nearby recreation gym. The elegant, soaring structural elements in the fitness space are paired with articulated wood paneling and glass clerestories and skylights. The result is a modern, open dynamic space that promotes health and fitness and encourages connections to the history of the institution.

State University of New York (SUNY) Cortland retained Hastings+Chivetta to design a Student Life Center that creates a hub of physical and social recreation, as well as dining, on campus. The signature feature of the new facility is the three-lane, 1/5-mile suspended jogging track, which includes a 20-inch grade change to mimic hills. The ADA-accessible track runs the perimeter of the facility and features exterior views in all four directions and interior views into every major space of the building, including a glass tunnel through the pool area. The track is designed for a dynamic indoor running experience in a climate that does not allow outside running for significant parts of the year. The two-story building is divided into three primary sections — recreation, dining and outdoor adventures — with a common lobby and entrances on both sides connecting the three functions. The facility features many new themed, specialty fitness areas. A spinning room is equipped with an interactive lighting system, sound system and a 124-inch diagonal flat screen. A mind/body room has track lighting and more than 900 LED lights to mimic stars on the ceiling. A combatives room is equipped with heavy bags, a speed bag, TRX mounts and floor pads for martial arts programming. A two-story climbing wall is located at the termination of the main concourse. The facility is designed to reduce energy consumption through roof-top solar panels, a green roof, oversized fans, and more, and is pending LEED Gold certification. Since its opening, the University has seen a 100% increase in daily participation in open recreation, a 30% increase in mind/body programming and a 200% increase in group exercise programming.

Serving as the main athletic facility for the Air Force Academy, the Cadet Fitness Center lacked adequate space to provide basic individual fitness training for cadets. The existing building was in need of an expansion and renovation to improve building conditions and program areas. Hastings+Chivetta, in association with Korte Construction, was chosen as the design/build team for this project. Phase I of this project involved an addition of 42,571 GSF for weight training, aerobic conditioning, fencing, a climbing wall, space for Physical Fitness Test-specific exercises, locker rooms, floor aerobics and spin cycling classes. A Phase II expansion will include a natatorium with multiple program functions, a larger varsity weight room, visiting team locker rooms, and cadet club training spaces. The weight training room and natatorium will both be large, two-story spaces connected on multiple levels by a southern corridor off of the main lobbies and points of circulation.

Careful scheduling has allowed the Cadet Fitness Center to remain open during all phases of construction. This project received LEED Gold Certification.

Funded by student fees, the original Student Recreation Center at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington opened in 2000. A decade later, the facility became too small and dated. University administrators commissioned Hastings+Chivetta, in collaboration with BMH Architects, to design an addition and renovation to the Center.

Recreation components for the expanded and renovated facility include a gymnasium with a suspended track, multi-activity courts with retractable spectator bleachers, cardio/weight equipment areas, racquetball courts, three multipurpose rooms and locker rooms. An outdoor leisure pool with a large deck was added, and the indoor 8-lane, 25-yard pool was renovated along with a wet classroom, storage and aquatic locker rooms.

UNCW offers numerous opportunities for outdoor leisure, so the expansion includes the new Discovery Outdoors Center with reception, a resource library, meeting rooms, a catering kitchen and almost 2,500 SF of oversized storage for equipment. Rounding out the facility is the Fitness for Life Center, the 28-foot climbing wall with over 1900 SF of climbing surface, as well as administrative offices.