 |
||||||||||||||
| The centerpiece of the $12.8 million renovation project is the conversion of the building’s dark, dank second-floor gymnasium into a light-filled fitness center. The 17,000-sf fitness center features all the amenities of a modern workout center—cardio machines, free-weight stations, circuit machines, dumbbells, a spinning room, and workout and classroom space—all situated snugly within the historic gymnasium. | ||||||||||||||
| At a time when institutions of higher learning are spending tens of millions of dollars erecting massive, cutting-edge recreation and fitness centers, Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., decided to take a more modest, historical approach. Instead of building an ultra-grand new facility, the university chose to
The centerpiece of the $12.8 million renovation project is the conversion of the building’s dark, dank second-floor gymnasium into a light-filled fitness center. Designed by Lavallee Brensinger Architects of Manchester, N.H., the 17,000-sf fitness center features all the amenities of a modern workout center—cardio machines, free-weight stations, circuit machines, dumbbells, a spinning room, and workout and classroom space—all situated snugly within the historic gymnasium. The gym’s 1970s-era suspended ceiling system was removed to reveal 10 steel trusses that now cap the space in dramatic fashion. During the day, natural light floods the interior through replacement clerestory windows that mimic the originals. At night, the interior lighting scheme highlights the massive trusses and emphasizes the vast volume of the space. To meet ADA accessibility standards, the Building Team created a new, universally accessible route to the front door that maintains the historic character of the entrance. A long, sweeping walkway designed at less than a 1:20 slope permits easy access to the building and is free of obtrusive railings. The original tri-part front steps were replaced with a wider, front-entrance staircase that can better handle crowds during periods of peak use. Inside, a new oversized elevator provides access to all public floors of the building. The elevator also serves as a key design element of the lobby and fitness center, with detailed enclosures at each level. The Reconstruction Awards judges praised Dartmouth for reviving the campus landmark and were especially pleased with the university’s decision to have the building live on as center for fitness and recreation. “There are so many facilities like this that have been converted for different use,” said Reconstruction Awards honorary chair Walker C. Johnson, FAIA, principal with Johnson Lasky Architects, Chicago. “I like the fact that they chose to update it for its original use.” |
||||||||||||||
Project Summary Alumni Gymnasium Renovation, Dartmouth College Hanover, N.H. Building Team Submitting firm: Lavallee Brensinger Architects (architect, interior architect) Associate architect: HOK Sport Structural engineer: McFarland Johnson Inc. Mechanical/electrical engineer: Hallam-ICS Construction manager: North Branch Construction General Information Size: 140,000 sf Construction cost: $12.8 million Delivery method: CM at risk |
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Fleet Library, Rhode Island School of Design
When tasked with transforming an early 1920s Italian Renaissance bank building into a fully functional library for the Rhode Island School of Design, the Building Team for RISD's Fleet Library found itself at odds with the project's two main goals. On the one hand, the team would have to carefully restore and preserve the historic charm and ornate architectural details of the landmark space, d...
| Aug 11, 2010
Gold Award: The Lion House, Bronx Zoo Bronx, N.Y.
Astor Court sits at the heart of the 265-acre Bronx Zoo, and its six Beaux Arts buildings were constructed at the turn of the 20th century to house exotic animals from around the world. When the Lion House was built in 1903, the brick and limestone facility was considered state-of-the-art, but as standards of animal care advanced, the lions were moved into a more natural setting, and the Lion H...
| Aug 11, 2010
The pride of Pasadena
As a shining symbol of civic pride in Los Angeles County, Pasadena City Hall stood as the stately centerpiece of Pasadena's Civic Center since 1927. To the casual observer, the rectangular edifice, designed by San Francisco Classicists John Bakewell, Jr., and Arthur Brown, Jr., appeared to be aging gracefully.
| Aug 11, 2010
Platinum Award: Reviving Oakland's Uptown Showstopper
The story of the Fox Oakland Theater is like that of so many movie palaces of the early 20th century. Built in 1928 based on a Middle Eastern-influenced design by architect Charles Peter Weeks and engineer William Peyton Day, the 3,400-seat cinema flourished until the mid-1960s, when the trend toward smaller multiplex theaters took its toll on the Fox Oakland.
