Elevating Health and Fitness on Campus
From its perch upon the highest point on campus, South Seattle College’s Wellness Center will help make fitness and wellness a visible and integral component of college life. Dedicated to advancing healthy living and physical fitness, the new facility includes a gymnasium, multipurpose rooms, weight and equipment rooms, and support spaces. Its location fosters a connection to the natural environment, contributes to campus vitality, and promotes use by a broad spectrum of students, faculty, staff, and the larger community.
Size
24,000
Year Complete
2022
Location
Seattle, WA
Sustainability
Targeted LEED Silver
Project Tags
Architectural Simplicity
The building’s massing consists of a pair of volumes, the taller housing the gym and the lower containing multi-purpose rooms and support spaces. These volumes are separated by a glazed gasket, providing visual connections to the campus. Complemented by wood siding and soffits inside and out, exposed open-web trusses and plywood deck add warmth and texture to the interior while expressing purity in form and construction. Textural composite concrete panels and metal panels echo the rhythm on the exterior.
Connection to Nature
Expanses of glazing offer commanding views of the campus, while outdoor instruction and recreation space promotes the relationship between inside and outside. Ceiling fans provide natural ventilation and help achieve the building’s anticipated LEED Silver certification.
Campus Integration
A single circulation spine running the length of the building links quiet, meditative spaces with exercise areas and casual seating, bringing students from all campus communities together to watch World Cup games on television, take a break after a hard-won game of one-on-one, or play board games with friends. Wall graphics emphasize the overall purpose of the building to support holistic wellness.
Inclusion
In 2015, the student government rallied support for a student fee earmarked for campus improvements, including this wellness center. Students representatives also participated in the design process, ensuring that the facility would be designed for all students. Flexible amenities like multi-purpose rooms facilitate a variety of activities from yoga and meditation to mixed martial arts to heavy bag training. Foot wash stations have been provided to support prayer ablutions that take place multiple times a day on campus. It's a place where everyone is welcome to socialize, relax, exercise, and integrate wellness into their daily routines.
