Macalester College, Leonard Center

St. Paul, Minnesota

Firm

Hastings+Chivetta Architects

Client

Macalester College

Area

195,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$31,000,000

Completion Date

07/2008

Macalester College’s goal for the Leonard Center was to offer opportunities for students to pursue personal fitness, socialize and participate in recreational and varsity team sports, while enhancing the college’s ability to recruit and retain students.

The three-story facility features social areas such as lounges, a juice bar and shops. The Wellness Center has examination rooms, a testing laboratory, offices, quiet room and resource rooms. The competition gymnasium has retractable seating for 1,200 spectators and meets the necessary guidelines to host regional and national competitions.

Other components include a fieldhouse with four full-size tennis/basketball courts surrounded by a 200-meter track; a natatorium with off-deck viewing; a 14,000-square-foot fitness center with cardio machines and weights; racquetball courts; multipurpose spaces for diverse activities such as dance, yoga and martial arts; and an athletic training room with hydro pool.

About 30,000 square feet of space includes a Hall of Fame reception area, club sports offices, administration and coaches’ office suites, storage, laundry facilities and underground vehicle parking.

Green architecture was a huge consideration for the project. The new facility uses recycled materials throughout: elevators run on vegetable oil, windows are placed strategically to take advantage of natural light and heat, and the building’s design enables efficient heating and cooling. About 90 percent of the previous facility was reused or recycled: the old fieldhouse was moved west of town to become a horse stable.