St. Bonaventure University, Sandra A. and William L. Richter Center
Olean, New York
Faced with increasing demand from students and faculty alike, St. Bonaventure University engaged CannonDesign to provide architectural, interior design and MEP engineering (and CannonDesign hired Tredo Engineers for Civil and Structural engineering) design services for a new on-campus recreational facility. The program for the 43,000 sf recreation facility is typical of recreational facilities on many university campuses; a three-court gymnasium is the centerpiece of the facility and is expandable to four courts. Other facility amenities include a multipurpose room, a weight-training and fitness room, racquetball and squash courts, a climbing wall, an elevated track, and a juice bar.
The Student Recreation Center is located at the heart of the campus, west of the Reilly Center behind Rob-Fal Hall, and in this location it becomes a link between several main campus functions: the academic core to the north and west, campus administration to the north, the main sports facilities to the west and south, and a student-housing village to the east. The housing village and the main campus are connected by a pedestrian link through the woods to the south of the site. In addition, the path continues through to the recreation building and reinforces an axis between Plassman and Doyle Hall.
The pedestrian-spine concept reveals the important relationships between the campus core and the housing village. The spine also appends not only campus functions but specific building functions as well. The fitness portion of the building is connected to the gym through a continuation of the pedestrian spine, creating an atrium. The gym is on the west side, and the fitness-related functions are on the east side; the lobby connects these functions and emphasizes the goals of linkages, synergy, visibility, and pedestrian movement. The entry level is slightly above existing grade, and the remainder of the building steps down to the south to further emphasize views of the Allegheny Mountains.
Other associated campus improvements included new outdoor tennis courts, basketball courts and plaza landscape designs.
