Recreation Center (2009)

The $50 million, 120,000 S.F. Recreation Center provides state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to promote a new era of campus health and fitness. Designed by Sasaki Associates of Boston, the three-story building contains two levels of weight training and fitness equipment, three multipurpose rooms for exercise classes, showers and locker rooms, a wellness center, juice bar, lounge space, and administrative offices for staff and recreational sports clubs. A flexible, three-court gymnasium can be sectioned off for basketball, volleyball, or badminton pick-up games, and is surrounded by a three-lane indoor track above.

In addition to physical equipment and facilities, the Recreation Center offers a variety of daily exercise classes to students in a range of intensities, including Abs and Gluts Blast, Cardio Dance, Cycling, Hip-Hop Club Cardio, Pilates, Step Aerobics, and Zumba. Upon opening in 2009, the building quickly became a major center of campus life, and serves an estimated 2,500 students daily. Today, students continue to praise the center for its positive, motivating, and stress-relieving atmosphere. The facility is free for undergraduate students, and also open to graduates, faculty, staff, and alumni. The project has received numerous awards and honors for its design, and contains a variety of sustainable features to reduce environmental impacts.

Building Information

Address: 161 Commonwealth Ave., Amherst, MA 01002
Completed: Fall 2009
Size: 120,000 GSF
Designer / Architect: Sasaki Associates
Structural Engineer: LeMessurier Consultants, Inc.
Construction Manager: Fontaine Brothers, Inc.
Owner's Project Manager: UMass Building Authority: NV5
UMass Project Manager: Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham

Sustainability

Indoor Air Quality

• Implemented an Indoor Air Quality Management Plan during construction and pre-occupancy
• Johnson Controls Metasys™ Building Automation System (BAS) continually monitors occupancy patterns  for energy efficiency and air quality
• CO2 sensors are equipped to the air handling system to regulate air flow rates based on occupancy
• Hydration and hand sanitization stations are provided near fitness equipment to help maintain personal health and hygiene.
• Two large washer units launder textiles in the building and utilize ozone diffusion to remediate pathogens.

Materials + Resources

• 50% of non-hazardous demolition and construction waste materials were recycled
• 10% of the building’s materials were regionally sourced from suppliers within 500 miles of the project site.
• 100% of interior adhesives and sealants comply with the Green Seal Standard for volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• Carpeting and rug backing comply with the VOC limit of 50 grams per liter established by the Green Label Plus Program.

Innovation in Design

• Equipped with the latest audiovisual technologies.
  • Exercise areas are outfitted with cardio theater equipment:
    • 35 flat screen televisions
    • 65-inch jumbotron television, and
    • Electronic message boards that display daily news, weather, PVTA bus schedules, and exercise class information.
• Unique roof structure consisting of three, 15-foot triangular steel tube trusses spanning 120 feet. Interior truss members act in compression, while exterior supports are held in tension.
• Sasaki Associates received an Athletic Business Facility of Merit Award in 2012 for the Recreation Center. Judges praised the facility’s thoughtful plan organization, and holistic approach to building and site design.

Water Efficiency

• Hydration stations encourage the use of reusable water bottles and reduce lines at drinking fountains.
• Restroom facilities are equipped with sensor-activated sinks, toilets, and urinals to conserve potable water.

Optimized Energy Performance

• Supplied with steam and electricity cogenerated directly from the high efficiency campus Central Heating Plant.
• Exterior aluminum solar shading devices, paired with fritted glazing, allow for passive solar gains
• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems monitored and controlled using the BAS.
• High efficiency LED light fixtures are installed throughout the building
• Daylight and occupancy sensors assess motion and daylight levels and adjust artificial lighting accordingly.
• A 241 kW PV solar array is installed on the rooftop of the Recreation Center.

Photo Gallery

​All images by Robert Benson Photography, courtesy of Sasaki Associates.

Media

Videos

New UMass Recreation Center Earns Rave Reviews
UMass Amherst - 12/8/2009 

UMass Recreation Center Classes
Rachel Quetti - 3/31/2013

How UMass Students Feel About the Recreation Center
Jamie Cushman - 3/10/2017

Recreation Center Video
LMT UMass - 5/2/2017

Articles

Campus Recreation Center on its Way
The Massachusetts Dailly Collegian - 11/4/2007

University Begins Construction on Recreation Center
The Massachusetts Dailly Collegian - 3/11/2008

Construction Continues on New Recreation Center
The Massachusetts Dailly Collegian - 9/2/2008

The New UMass Recreation Center
MassLive - 11/24/2009

A New Fitness Era | Recreation Center at University of Massachusetts Amherst
American Schools & Universities - 2/1/2011

UMass Amherst Recreation Center
Sasaki Associates - n.d.

UMass Recreation Center, Amherst, Massachusetts
Fontaine Brothers, Inc. - n.d.

Recreation Center (UMass Amherst)
An Engineer's Guide to Western Mass - date (n.d. if unavailable)

Most Luxurious Student Recreation Centers
College Rank - n.d.

Recreation Center
UMass Amherst - n.d.