California State University, Long Beach

Cal State Long Beach’s 130,000 gsf Recreation and Wellness Center anchors student life in a new facility that emphasizes continuity of indoors and outdoors and the belief that health and fitness are essential to academic success. A landscaped entry plaza with adjoining snack and juice bar provides a much-needed outdoor gathering space linked conveniently to the campus’s circulation axis. Inside, an interior “street” maximizes views among the building’s major functions, which include a 20,000 sf cardio/fitness center, a three-court gymnasium, a two-court MAC, multipurpose rooms, two racquetball courts, a wellness center, staff offices, and a running track. High-activity spaces enjoy ample views of playing fields and the entry plaza through broad expanses of windows that transform the building into an illuminated beacon at night. A walled courtyard features sand volleyball courts and a recreation pool. Abundant natural lighting combined with an array of other sustainable strategies, materials, and systems helped the building achieve LEED Gold certification.