Cultivating A Community Gathering Space
Creating a rec center with a farmhouse feel
By Zach Bisek and Lauren McKissack
Photos: Lockner Creative and/or Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture
What began as a homestead fueled by the Gold Rush and then turned into an agricultural hub, the town of Berthoud, Colo., has not-so-slowly morphed into a growing destination for young families and modern-day Coloradans looking for a slower pace of life and lower living costs than in its neighboring cities. With both a population growth and shift in culture, Berthoud has become perfectly poised for a new recreation facility. Simultaneously and serendipitously, a long-time farming family, the Waggeners, donated more than 59 acres to be repurposed to serve the community. After conducting an in-depth park master plan and feasibility study led by Wenk Associates Landscape Architects, gaining community support, and passing a bond, the design commenced to build Berthoud’s first recreation center.
The Design
The design team, including Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture, and a steering group reviewed a series of inspirational images of structures with styles, traits, and relationships inspired by the existing architecture of Berthoud and the community’s agrarian culture. Other essential connections were the proximity to the mountains and the panoramic views. Berthoud’s love of small-town life, community festivals, and local crops provide the town with economic vitality and pride. The team identified images gravitating towards contained, gabled-roof forms, smaller window proportions, wood siding, and metal roofing, With these images in mind, the team generated a concept for the exterior of the Waggener Farm Park Recreation Center.
Four large masses—lobby, gymnasium, fitness center, and natatorium—were all designed to represent a collection of farm structures, oriented in a pinwheel configuration and provided with individual gabled-roof forms. The variation of roof styles and heights gives each space its own identity and makes each building appear as if it was a farm property built over time. The exterior of the building's main fitness components was designed with ribbed metal panels to further reinforce the traditional, agricultural service building. Contrasting that, fiber cement-board siding was selected for the main lobby representing a residential-style farmhouse. A stacked, natural-stone wainscot base around the gymnasium and natatoriums mimicks the grounding and protection provided for the barn-like structures. A wraparound porch at the building's entrance promotes a small-town, neighborly feel representative of the pace of life in the community.
Connections to the outdoors and sustainability were additional driving forces for the design. This is not just a recreation center but also an extensive park development, so the connection to the outdoor amenities was a vital part of the project's identity. The design team explored ways to bring the inside out in facility programming. The main lobby connects to the community porch, lawn, and farm-table seating. An outdoor sundeck and future splash pad are connected via garage doors to the natatorium, and an outdoor fitness yard is directly accessible from the indoor cardio and weights area. Inspired by stunning mountain views is Longs Peak, a high and prominent fourteener, located in Rocky Mountain National Park, only 38 miles from the site. In its research phase, the design team discovered at the Smithsonian a painting by William Henry Holmes from 1874 of Longs Peak. The team gained the rights to reuse the image and created a striking two-story, glass-tile mosaic along the stairwell of the slide that mimicked the artwork. This style of mosaic can also be seen as guests enter the locker rooms, depicting a field of wildflowers, which adds a refined, yet natural feel to the space.
Sustainability And Operational Performance Efforts
Adding to passive, sustainable approaches, like the use of skylights and operable openings, were new energy- and water-saving systems within the aquatic area. The project team and particularly the aquatic consultant, Water Technology Inc., implemented vertical pumps for the activity pool, reducing the building’s square-footage. The use of wall-mounted instantaneous heaters not only reduced the square-footage, but also modulated energy use with multiple small heaters as opposed to one or two large boilers. The team also introduced nanobubble technology that produces more O2 into the water chemistry, reducing the number of pool chemicals and building maintenance and operational costs. These intelligent engineering systems may not be beautiful from the outside, but they do bring great savings and operational efficiency for the town and the parks staff.
To reduce noise pollution, special attention was paid to acoustical properties. At first glance, the lobby and main corridor ceiling panels look like wood, but there are tiny holes in the metal panels that have an amazingly calming effect as one walks through the facility.
Another unique feature is the dual-purpose pool that houses the lap lanes. Although there are only three lanes, the pool is 13 feet deep with a wet rock wall with two cliff-jumping wells. This interactive area is a hit with the hard-to-please teen/tween population. The two-story slide was also created with teens in mind, complete with a competition timer! Trying to beat one’s personal record or competing with friends and family has increased the slides’ usage trifold.
Berthoud’s Pride And Joy
Built by FCI Constructors, the center opened in fall 2021. Since then, it has become the epicenter of town—hosting the beloved Berthoud Day festival, 3rd of July community party, annual Holiday Market, and many more events. With the recreation center as the crown jewel, the park is the new community gathering space certain to delight residents for years to come.
Zach Bisek, AIA, LEED AP, is a Partner/Principal for Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture. Reach him at zachbisek@brsarch.com.
Lauren McKissack is the Marketing Director at Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture. Reach her at laurenmckissack@brsarch.com.