NIRSA Facilities Institute: Recreation and Wellness Takeaways

Sports and recreation are key aspects of living a healthy life. Facilities supporting these endeavors are available in nearly every city and college campus throughout the United States. Henderson Engineers attended the NIRSA (National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association) Facilities Institute in Miami recently and shared some key takeaways below.

1. Collaborating is key. By tying collegiate recreation to other departments on-campus, students can experience all eight dimensions of wellness under one roof.

Wellness comes from many different aspects of life. Emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, occupational, and social wellness form the eight dimensions. Recreational facilities are being developed to provide areas to thrive in each of these realms. Achieving total wellness is a complex process that requires dedication to spaces where maximum performance is achieved. This takes intentional conversations between the design team, owner, and end user.

2. Enhancing the user experience in spin studios.

Colored and color-changing lighting enhances the user experience in a spin studio. Sensory features such as color-changing lighting and integrated audio-visual create a pulsating environment where lighting and sound activate end-user’s responses; thus, providing motivation to reach their highest potential during a spin class.

3. Providing more inclusive spaces.

There is a focus in collegiate recreational facilities to provide an inclusive environment for all people. Recreation centers are notorious for making people feel welcome, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, skill set, and mental aptitude. Gender neutral restrooms and inclusive locker rooms with low lockers and private rooms for changing are essential. These designs eliminate barriers while providing a welcoming environment for all.

Recreational facilities are not designed solely for the traditional athlete, they are created to include all ability levels and backgrounds. There has been a noticeable shift to create spaces that attract nontraditional individuals — students that wouldn’t normally go to the gym — by finding new ways to interest them. Inclusivity also incorporates the growing esports trend by integrating gaming spaces with healthy eating, cooking, and exercise options.

4. Racquetball courts are being renovated to create more functional spaces.

Finding more space in existing facilities can be challenging, but the idea of revamping seldom-used, existing racquetball courts to functional fitness has proven to be a win-win solution. The larger footprint makes for great private exercise rooms to accommodate individuals wanting to work out but not be visible by others. The space also has been converted for CrossFit, yoga, pickleball, and wallyball spaces. All these designs keep up with the increased demands and workout trends.

Henderson Engineers, Henderson Building Solutions, and Populous representatives will be presenting together on “Troubleshooting Campus Recreation Facilities: What to Do When Something Goes Wrong Part 2” at the NIRSA Annual Conference in Boston on Feb. 19.

Learn more about Henderson’s sports and recreation expertise here.

Written By
MARIA UNRUH

Community Sector Practice Manager | Electrical Engineer

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