Awards and History
Awards
The Student Recreation Center at California State University, Northridge, was honored with the LA Architectural Award for Education as selected by the Los Angeles Business Council and the Architects Awards Jury.
鈥淚t鈥檚 especially gratifying for the SRC to be recognized by architectural professionals of Los Angeles,鈥� said Student Recreation Center Director, Jimmy Francis. 鈥淲e are pleased to share this award with our general contractor C.W. Driver and the project architects at LPA, Inc. for their outstanding work.鈥�
Presented by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee of Architecture for Education, this award honors the planning and design process that is educational, collaborative, and builds the capacity of the school and its community to support its students.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing that the SRC won this national award,鈥� said Jimmy Francis, director of the SRC. Architectural firm LPA Inc., the project team from 91传媒 (CSUN) and the University Student Union did an exceptional job balancing function, form and sustainability in the design and construction of the facility.
This facility award recognizes excellence in newly constructed, renovated or expanded recreational facilities at NIRSA Membership Institutions. This award is given to facilities that demonstrate excellence in a number of critical areas, including architectural design, functionality, and how well the facility meets its intended purpose.
鈥淭he SRC is a more modern student rec center. It鈥檚 not only about the gym, but it鈥檚 a place to relax and hang out with friends,鈥� said Glenn Carels, LPA, Inc. lead designer and architect for the SRC. 鈥淲e call it 鈥榗ampus building,鈥� when the building you add doesn鈥檛 just serve its purpose, it makes the entire campus better, and more cohesive.鈥�
To achieve gold status, the SRC ranked outstanding in five categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. Many of the SRC鈥檚 features such as water-saving faucets, the usage of solatubes, and photovoltaic (solar) panels on the roof helped the SRC achieve LEED gold status.
鈥淪eeking any way to reduce the negative environmental footprint of your facility is the responsible route to take in this new era of facility development,鈥� said Jimmy Francis, director of the SRC. 鈥淭his is especially true in an era where we are more conscious of sustainable building practices.鈥�
The citation award聽recognizes distinctive aspects or elements of a design that demonstrate聽noteworthy architectural skill or vision.
鈥淲hat impressed me most about the building was the level of detail and thought that went into it,鈥� said Andrew Wickham, producer of a wickFILMS short film featuring the SRC. 鈥淚t was obvious that every inch inside and out had been thought of鈥� even the solar panels on the roof were tidily lined up. It seemed to me to be finished more to the level of a performance hall rather than a recreation center.鈥�
Facilities are selected on the basis of plan efficiency, functional relationships and measures taken to maximize use of space, interior finishes, detailing and color schemes, exterior design, relationship of the building to the site, and cost of construction for the value received.
鈥淐loaked in a metal sunscreen veil, the facility transforms from opaque to illuminated at night,鈥� said Jim Kalvelage, Athletic Business architectural showcase judge from Opsis Architecture. 鈥淭his project presents a fresh and exciting contemporary model for today鈥檚 student recreation center.鈥�
The citation award recognizes distinctive aspects or elements of a design that demonstrate noteworthy architectural skill or vision.
鈥淚 was thrilled to hear that the SRC won this outstanding award,鈥� said Jimmy Francis, Director of the SRC. 鈥淎rchitectural design firm LPA Inc., the project team from California State University, Northridge and the University Student Union did an amazing job balancing function, form and sustainability in the design and construction of the facility.鈥�
The COTE-SD Award recognizes the beauty of sustainable architecture that integrates buildings with the physical and cultural environment.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 so great that the SRC won this award,鈥� said Katelyn Sellers, SRC Member Services Assistant. 鈥淭he SRC has made great efforts to be environmentally friendly.鈥�
The Gold Nugget Award recognizes excellence and innovation in addressing complex design/build issues, specifically energy-conserving designs that avoid or reduce the use of mechanical equipment.
鈥淭he design team accepted the constraints of the site and punched back with a singular iconic stroke,鈥� said the judges. 鈥淸We] appreciated the diagrams included to explain the passive sustainable design concepts incorporated into the building while still being arrested by its billboard audacity.鈥�
The merit award recognized the integrated sustainable design executed by LPA, Inc., before the SRC was complete.
鈥漈he biggest difference between CSUN and other projects, was the level of coordination that was required,鈥� said John Wilson, LPA Project Engineer. 鈥淎ll disciplines had to work closely at every step of the design process in order to achieve a system that worked within the complexity of the structural system.鈥�
The citation award recognizes distinctive aspects or elements of a design that demonstrate noteworthy architectural skill or vision.
鈥淭he AIA award given to the Student Recreation Center 91传媒 is the culmination of a successful working relationship between CSUN, the USU and LPA,鈥� said Franco Brown, LPA Project Designer. 鈥淚t validates many of the innovative concepts and architectural qualities that we conceived for this project, such as its iconic folding shape that 鈥榓dvertises鈥� the activities inside to the community at night, or the extensive use of glazing to collect natural light and open views to the surrounding valley hills.鈥�
History
On April 17-18, 2007, 57% of the students who voted passed a referendum to build a recreation center.
The driving principles and key tenets that direct action of the recreation center committee were to:
- Develop premier campus recreation facilities, which provide the CSUN community with opportunities for聽exercise聽and other聽recreation/leisure time activities聽that promote lifelong聽wellness聽and support student recruitment and retention.
- Create facilities that incorporate聽eco-friendly聽components that bridge architecturally and philosophically with the University Student Union and are consistent with the overall university mission and campus physical master plan.
- Create recreational programs and facilities that foster聽CSUN spirit, and provide an environment that is聽welcoming,聽comfortable聽and聽fun.
- Ensure聽student involvement聽in the聽decision-making聽and聽governance processes.
The Fitness Centre opened its door to CSUN students, faculty/staff, and alumni in the Spring of 1995. Being a partnership between Associated Students and the University Student Union, the Fitness Centre served the entire campus community. The purpose of the Fitness Centre's programs and services was to offer CSUN students, faculty/staff, and alumni members the opportunity to engage in a healthy lifestyle. Through the facility, equipment, and human resources, the Fitness Centre provided a motivational environment in which our patrons were encouraged to maximize their results. Additionally, through other collaborative efforts with other groups and departments on-campus, it was our greatest desire to make fitness and wellness an integral part of campus life.
On January 16, 2012, the Fitness Centre closed to make way for the Student Recreation Center...Where Matadors Play.