Weighing In
How community input can influence a recreation center’s design
By Gudmundur Jonsson
Photos: Conor Culver
Debuted in April 2019 as Aurora, Colorado’s first new recreation center in 40 years, Central Recreation Center was the result of a thorough public-input and engagement process focused on solving the city’s need for a new center in the area. It was designed with the community in mind. Directly influenced by resident feedback, three public meetings were held in 2016 with over 200 community members in attendance at each, allowing them to express opinions and give feedback on the design and programming activities. This input served as the basis of design for vision planning and creation of a state-of-the-art facility.
The Campaign
Central Recreation Center’s campaign, titled “Picture It!”, perfectly summarized the mission of painting a picture of what Aurora residents visualized in their new home for recreation and wellness. All three meetings were held in the gymnasium and cafeteria areas of a local elementary school, across from the recreation center site. This strategically chosen location allowed community members to visualize the proximity of the recreation center to neighborhoods, public transportation, and trail connections. The highly interactive process allowed residents to have their voices heard and challenged them to make some tough decisions.
Each of the meetings focused on a different aspect of the building. In the first meeting, community members were given 25 “recreation bucks” to vote on their preferred programming activities. The second meeting built off the results of the first and focused on the top three programming activities, where aquatics was chosen. The third meeting focused on the exterior aesthetic.
“We know from experience that large, open-forum groups don’t work well when asking for community input. Residents are often hesitant to ask questions or give feedback in this setting,” says Doug Barraza, a Populous recreation center colleague. “Central Recreation Center is a great example of a small-group, interactive format that provided an opportunity for residents to have their voices heard in a casual neighborhood setting.”
The attendance at these meetings far surpassed the initial goal and allowed city staff members and Populous to personally connect with individuals, hear their stories, listen to their feedback, and ensure the design reflected their voices. Furthermore, this process allowed Populous to move forward with the design, confident in what the citizens hoped to see in their new recreation center.
The Results
The public-input process produced a facility with a heavy aquatic focus and first-of-its-kind offerings, including Colorado’s first recreation center indoor wave pool, and North America’s first interactive waterslide with videos that allow visitors to customize their experience to various themes. The natatorium includes features that hold 184,223 gallons of water within a lazy river, a lap pool, a kiddie pool area, and a warm water spa.
Today, Central Recreation visitors can choose from a variety of different amenities, including a gymnasium, six basketball hoops, two fitness studios, a fitness grandstand, a cooking and catering kitchen, an escape room, and two community meeting rooms and party rooms. Flexible outdoor spaces, including a balcony with visual connections to the mountain range, offer unique opportunities for fitness experiences including sunrise and sunset yoga. The recreation center also features a second, rentable, outdoor patio at ground level with grills and space for private parties. The running track meanders through the entire facility, breaking from the traditional oval formation commonly found in most recreation centers, effectively connecting different fitness neighborhoods.
Public art integration was also at the forefront of the design. The city dedicated almost $500,000 to custom art from local artists. The exterior wall features hand-painted glass windows that guests see as they enter the building. From the same vantage point, a sightline moves into the gymnasium space with vertical stained-glass windows, casting colored light that changes throughout the day. As visitors enter, bright, spiraled, tubular-steel art fills the lobby entrance overhead, representing the overarching architectural design theme of fluid energy and movement.
As Roberta Bloom, the city’s Public Art Coordinator, so elegantly says, “This building will stand as a wonderful example of the power of integrated art, and truly makes my heart sing. It is amazing what can be done when a team seizes the essence of an idea and works together to solve problems.”
Ultimately, the result was a 61,250-square-foot facility of art. Colorado’s first-of-its-kind amenities, such as a wave pool and an interactive slide, have made the center an entertainment mecca. The completion of the recreation center highlights the ways in which the public can serve as a partner in the design process and how the design and construction industries can have a transformative effect, not just on the built environment, but on the community as a whole.
“Central Recreation Center is a building for all,” says Kendall Koca, Project Manager for the city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space. “Programming for the facility ensures that all walks of life are served, from the aquatic’s zero-depth entry for the tots to the elevated walking track for Silver Sneakers. I have no doubt this facility will serve the Aurora community for many years to come.”
For more information on the project or to learn more about how Populous can help with your community recreation design, contact Gudmundur Jonsson at gudmundur.jonsson@populous.com.