West campus to add recreation and wellness facility

A state-of-the-art recreation and wellness facility will open in January of 2013 to serve students, faculty and staff on ASU’s West campus. The $25-million facility, funded by a student government-endorsed facility fee, will feature amenities such as weight and fitness equipment, fitness studios, an outdoor pool and fields, gymnasium, racquetball courts, and wellness service space including a demonstration kitchen for healthy food preparation.

With the addition of the recreation and wellness facility, construction is now under way on three major projects at the West campus, located at 4701 W. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix. A new residence hall and a dining facility will open in August, in time for the start of the Fall 2012 semester.

“The recreation and wellness facility, coupled with the new housing and dining projects, will redefine what the student experience is at the West campus,” said Mistalene Calleroz White, the campus’s dean of students. “Students will have several modern new buildings in which they can create their own university experience.”

The West campus serves students in ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, University College and W. P. Carey School of Business, as well as Barrett, The Honors College.

“Mens sana in corpore sano, a Latin phrase translated as ‘a sound mind in a sound body,’ expresses an ideal of physical and mental health, each supporting the other,” said Elizabeth Langland, dean of New College and ASU vice provost. “Our new recreation and wellness facility will make it much easier for students at the West campus to pursue that ideal. Even as they sharpen and develop their minds through a rigorous course of study, they will have the opportunity to enhance their physical health and well-being in this state-of-the-art recreation facility.”

The facility will include 63,800 gross square feet of space. Approximately 10,000 gross square feet will be dedicated to weight and fitness amenities, including cardiovascular equipment, weight resistance equipment and free weights.

Two multipurpose studios will be used for group fitness classes and student club activities. A two-court gymnasium will enable participants to play sports including basketball, volleyball and badminton, and two racquetball courts also are included. Sand volleyball and outside basketball courts will be available on the south side of the new facility.

The project will add two competition play fields with softball and rugby field overlays. Additionally, the existing field north of the project site (and east of the new residence hall) will be renovated for use as a student quad and recreational play field.

“We are excited about what this project signifies for Arizona State University, and specifically for the West campus,” Calleroz White said.

“The facility will offer something for everyone on campus, from those who exercise daily to those who have never stepped foot into a recreation center before,” she said. “It will also provide unique approaches to leading a healthy lifestyle. Beyond traditional fitness and exercise options, new and innovative ways to be ‘well’ can be offered: healthy cooking options in the demonstration kitchen, mind/body programming, and one-on-one appointments with professionals in wellness fields, like dieticians, massage therapists or nutritionists. As it did with regard to the design of the building and the services offered in it, student input will continue to drive the type of programming that occurs in the space.”

The project architect is Architekton + 360 Architecture; the construction manager is Haydon Building Corp. The recreation and wellness facility is expected to earn a minimum of LEED Silver certification.