Purdue University, France A. Cordova Recreational Sports Center Expansion and Renovation

West Lafayette, Indiana

Firm

Moody Nolan, Inc.

Client

Purdue University

Area

420,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$103,000,000

Completion Date

10/2012

Three existing antiquated and windowless boxes housing fitness, gymnasiums and aquatic spaces were turned "inside out." The new design is expressed on the exterior as light-filled volumes of glass and stone, which give the center a new and more inviting face. The central concourse/ atrium space stitches together the existing disparate spaces, bringing natural light deep into the heart of the facility. The concourse also serves as an organizing element, connecting the entrances and a monumental stair throughout all five levels of the facility.

The interior design is conceptualized as “neighborhoods of activity”: diverse fitness activities and varying degrees of openness and programmatic overlaps. Major new spaces include a feature gym, leisure pool, climbing and bouldering walls, a fitness pavilion, volleyball courts, a multi-activity court, a wellness suite and a demonstration kitchen. A stroll through the sports center reveals dense layering of spaces, and a transparency that sometimes appears to extend through the entire building. In pursuit of LEED Silver, over 90% of the existing structure was reused and all building MEP systems were replaced with high-efficiency systems.