WEST HARTFORD, Conn.—The New England-based design firm JCJ Architecture has renovated and expanded the on-campus athletic center at the University of Saint Joseph. JCJ’s mandate was to modernize the facility for an increasing student body and accommodate the school’s expanding athletics.

The new areas of the athletic facility encompass 31,277 square feet of space and are meant to provide a warm atmosphere to visitors and students alike. Part of the redesign entails melding the red brick colonial motif of the original building with more modern elements. Accordingly, the red brick materials will be married to new yellow doorways, and the athletic facility will also feature cantilevers, modern glass elements and “projections.”

One of the main new additions at the athletic facility was an NCAA regulation-size basketball court. The court will double as a gathering and performance space when not in use for games and practices. The facility’s main lobby will offer concessions and ticket-purchase areas, as well as lounging seating for students and visitors. Furthermore, the suite for the student health services, which used to reside in another nearby building, is now located on the ground floor of the new building.

Because the athletic center is adjacent to the Student Center, it represents a kind of central hub for student activity at Saint Joseph. The school had been an all-women’s college—until 2018, when it became co-educational. The school at that point increased its number and variety of sports, which thus required a renovation to the athletic center for such expanded sports activities.

Working alongside JCJ Architecture was general contractor O&G Industries, which is also based in Connecticut.

“Helping USJ to advance its institutional goals and seeing the way students, administrators and faculty have embraced the building has been truly rewarding,” Jim LaPosta, principal and chief architectural officer at JCJ Architecture, said in a statement emailed to School Construction News. “It’s been a great experience to see how the new space became a hub of campus activity.”

Added LaPosta: “Because it was a relatively modest addition to an existing building, each space had to support a range of student needs including varsity athletics, recreation, academics, and social gathering.

“We’ve been told that visits to the new Student Health Center have increased due to its new and more accessible location within the O’Connell Center, while the lobby seating has become a much-used social and study drop-in spot for students.”

Among JCJ Architecture’s professional affiliations in the educational sphere are the American Institute of Architecture, the Society of College and University Planners, the Association for Learning Environments and the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association.

The University of Saint Joseph has just over 2,000 students in a variety of programs of study. It was first founded as a private Catholic university in 1932.

The post University Of Saint Joseph Renovates Athletic Center appeared first on School Construction News.

STORRS, Conn.—The Student Recreation Center, located at the heart of the University of Connecticut’s (UCONN) Storrs campus, has been recognized by the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association as an Outstanding Facility of Merit as part of its 2021 NIRSA Awards.

The 191,000-square-foot recreation center was designed jointly by JCJ Architecture and Moody Nolan to replace an older athletic facility that offered only 25,000 square feet of space. Turner Construction, whose home base is in New York, served on the project as the general contractor.

Among the rec center’s amenities are a 20,000-square-foot fitness center, basketball and volleyball courts, running track, climbing wall, outdoor fitness spaces, as well as space that can be utilized for larger events.

One of the key features of the new recreation center, and which likely caught the attention of the NIRSA selection committee, was that UCONN wanted the new facility to be a place of inclusion, with programs focusing on personal growth and wellness for a diverse segment of students and the surrounding community.

“This project gave us the opportunity to work closely with the students, faculty and staff at UCONN and to create an exciting facility that meets the needs of this dynamic institution,” James E. LaPosta Jr., who serves as chief architectural officer at JCJ, said in a recent statement when the award was announced. “We are thrilled to have the team’s work recognized by NIRSA because of their focus on promoting the very best in design and innovative programs for collegiate recreation.”

Each year, the NIRSA Outstanding Facilities Awards recognize innovative work in collegiate recreational facilities in several categories, including renovations, ground-up and expansions. The judges examine nominees along such criteria as functionality, design and how closely the project hews to the original intentions for the recreational building. The selection process also looks for structures that will inspire other designers in the future.

In a statement to School Construction News, Cynthia Costanzo, executive director of UCONN Recreation, said the school was honored to have the Student Recreation Facility named as a 2021 NISRA Facility of Merit.

“This recognition establishes our facility amongst the best-of-the-best as we continue to strive to be leaders in collegiate recreation, helping our community to lead healthier lives,” she said.

“This past year has clearly reminded us of the importance of health and human connection,” JCJ’s LaPosta commented to School Construction News. “The Student Rec Center is a tangible representation of the University’s commitment to fostering wellness and personal growth. The NIRSA Facility of Merit designation is a testament to how the design team and the UCONN community came together to make the new Student Rec Center a reality.”

The post New UCONN Rec Center Gains National Recognition appeared first on School Construction News.

The three-story, 63,000-square-foot project on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) will be a New Haven Public School (NHPS) for 490 Pre-K through 4th grade students. It will additionally extend opportunities for interning, volunteering and mentoring for SCSU’s School of Education students that are studying to become teachers. The Barack H. Obama Magnet University School will boost the bond between SCSU and NHPS, by nurturing a mutual focus on innovation and best practices for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines, and special education.

Developed in a partnership between Pickard Chilton and Hartford, Conn.-based JCJ Architecture, the school’s architectural design creates an effective educational environment by providing all classrooms with access to natural light and scenic views, and all primary classrooms will have vibrant vistas of West Rock. The heart of the building is the Cafetorium and Gym, which can combine to form a larger space for entire school functions. This space has sightlines to the classroom corridor and to the outdoor play areas. The building will boast an open courtyard that aligns the adjacent woodlands in order to easily connect students with nature. Two wings around the courtyard contain the Media Center, Art, Music and Science Discovery Center.

Pickard Chilton incorporated into the school such sustainable highlights as photovoltaic rooftop panels and green roofs, and the plan complies with the NHPS High Performance Schools Design Requirements and the State of Connecticut High Performance Building standards.

“We are excited and proud to be a part of this project, the first in our hometown of New Haven,” said Pickard Chilton Principal Jon Pickard in a statement. “The Barack H. Obama Magnet University School will be first and foremost an education and innovation facility, and our design was developed with the needs of both the school’s students and SCSU’s teachers-in-training in mind.”

Pickard Chilton has extensive experience working on both public and institutional facilities, having designed projects such as the Minnesota State Senate Building, the Orville L. Freeman Building and the Emory University Hospital, among others.

The $45 million school is scheduled to open in fall 2019. It is believed to be the first school in New England named in honor of President Obama, and will replace Strong School’s Orchard Street location.

The post Obama Magnet School Breaks Ground in New Haven appeared first on School Construction News.