Brown University dedicates new aquatics and fitness centre complex
Brown University in Rhode Island, US has dedicated the new $46 million aquatics and fitness centre complex.
The complex features the Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Centre, the Nelson Fitness Centre, the David J. Zucconi ’55 Varsity Strength and Conditioning Centre, and Fredric B. Garonzik ’64 Fitness Area and the Ittleson Quadrangle.
The project, which broke ground on 28 May 2010, has been designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects and developed by Shawmut Design and Construction. The centre spans 84,000 square feet and is an addition to the current athletic facilities constructed on and near the site of the former Smith Swim Centre on Hope Street.
The Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Centre sports a swimming pool measuring 56 metres for varsity competition and recreational use, three-meter diving. The facility has seating capacity of 800, and a system of movable bulkheads. The Nelson Fitness Centre comprises the mixed-use Fredric B. Garonzik ’64 Fitness Area spanning 10,000 square feet to serve students, faculty and staff.
The 12,000 square feet David J. Zucconi ’55 Varsity Strength and Conditioning Centre serves varsity athletes and teams. The Ittleson Quadrangle is a spacious landscaped green space. It substitutes the parking area in front of Meehan Auditorium and the Olney-Margolies Athletic Centre.
The complex also houses three exercise studios, offices for coaches and administrative staff, as well as varsity locker rooms for men’s and women’s swimming and diving and water polo teams. Among its other features include car parking, an arrival point for team buses behind the Olney-Margolies Athletic Centre, and social space which includes a lobby with café.
The complex employs various green measures conforming to LEED Silver standards. It includes installation of a system of 168 rectangular panels on Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatic Centre's roof. The panels produce power for its lights and generate enough thermal energy to heat the million-gallon pool. It is the first hybrid solar installation in Rhode Island, the largest in the nation and the first on a college campus.
The project has received gifts from different trustees and former graduates of the University.
