The recently completed Prairie Activity and Recreation Center (PARC) in Plainfield, Ill., is projected to be the first building of its kind to achieve the Passive House Institute US PHIUS+ Source Zero certification.
Designed as a net zero facility, the two-story, 37,000-sf building features a 4,000-sf fitness center and studio with a full-size basketball court, an elevated 10-lap walking track, a 1,600-sf multi-purpose room for classes and special events, and a preschool suite. The preschool suite includes a dedicated reception area and entrance and four classrooms with high windows and “look nooks” (low picture windows that connect the children to the natural surroundings outside).
The PARC is 65% more efficient than a conventional commercial building of the same size in a similar climate. It includes a 28,600-sf solar array and a highly insulating building envelope. A Building Performance monitor at the front entry will share building energy use and solar energy production information with visitors.
Exterior building features include LED site lighting, rain gardens, native landscaping, parking for 110 vehicles, a recreation patio for the preschool, and walking trails. The PARC is the newest addition to the Bott Park complex, which includes a playground, ball fields, and soccer fields.
Related Stories
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jan 8, 2016
Washington Redskins hire Bjarke Ingels Group to design new stadium
The Danish firm is short on designing football stadiums, but it has led other impressive large scale projects.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jan 6, 2016
A solar canopy makes Miami’s arena more functional
NRG Energy teams with Miami Heat to transform an underused open-air plaza and reinforce the facility’s green reputation
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 23, 2015
Kengo Kuma selected to design National Stadium for 2020 Tokyo Olympics
Japan chose between projects from Japanese architects Kuma and Toyo Ito. The decision has been met with claims of favoritism, particularly by the stadium’s original designer, Zaha Hadid.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 16, 2015
Tokyo down to two finalists for Olympic Stadium design
Both cost less than the Zaha Hadid proposal that was scrapped over the summer.
Sponsored | Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 14, 2015
Soccer Field in the Sky
House of Sports in Ardsley, N.Y., is home to a soccer field on the third floor of a downtown building.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 7, 2015
Michigan YMCA receives Universal Design Certification
The 116,200-sf Mary Free Bed YMCA in Grand Rapids is accessable for everyone who uses the facilities.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 7, 2015
High tech material makes Minnesota Vikings' new stadium's roof light and strong
U.S. Bank Stadium will have an ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) pneumatic roof, a durable, flexible material made of a polymer similar to Teflon.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 3, 2015
Herzog & de Meuron unveils renderings of redeveloped stadium for Chelsea FC
As many as 264 brick piers will line the perimeter of the stadium and extend to a steel ring perched above the field.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Nov 16, 2015
Edmonton's Rogers Place among North America's 'next-gen' stadiums
The home of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers made Curbed’s list of 11 next-generation stadiums in North America. Also on the list are new venues for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Nov 13, 2015
It’s time to make MLB stadiums safer
Major League Baseball doesn't have official stadium design guidelines. Skanska's Tom Tingle has three ways the league can make the game safer for fans while still preserving its integrity.