Ohio community center offers fitness and other spaces in a five-story terracotta, brick, and glass building
In Upper Arlington, Ohio, the recently opened Bob Crane Community Center offers fitness, sports, meeting, and co-working spaces in a five-story building designed by Perkins&Will and MSA Sport, a division of MSA Design.
The $70.8 million project’s programmatic organization encourages users to interact, emphasizing the idea that the center is for everyone. The pedestrian-friendly building’s design drew on community feedback, in forums ranging from town hall meetings to small focus groups.
The terracotta, brick, and glass building’s extensive use of storefront glazing directly connects the indoor activities with the surrounding community, while also providing abundant natural light. The curtain wall system also fills the main staircase with light.
Two stories above street level, the building turns on its axis, forming a multi-use terrace for outdoor socializing and exercise activities. On the fifth floor, a south-facing balcony serves as a gathering and outdoor-event space.
The gym and aquatics center are located on the main floor, gymnasiums on the third and fourth floors, and community spaces on the main through fourth floor. The upper levels offer views of downtown Columbus, The Ohio State University campus, and the surrounding Upper Arlington community.
The interior design emphasizes a connection with nature through natural color palettes and organic forms, gradients, or patterns. The interior also incorporates the exposed concrete of the post-tensioned concrete building, as well as the original blue brick from the site’s former Macy’s building. In addition, the wood of a sycamore tree that once stood on the site has been repurposed as the reception desk and as custom furniture throughout the building.
The center has over 400 rooftop solar panels that will offset energy costs by over $50,000 annually. Visitors can see the panels’ real-time energy savings displayed digitally in the main lobby. Other sustainable features include heating the pool water via flat-plate heat exchangers instead of a separate gas heater, and low-flow plumbing fixtures and cooling towers.
On the Building Team
Owner: City of Upper Arlington, Pizzuti Solutions (owner’s representative)
Associate architect: Perkins&Will
Architect of record: MSA Sport, division of MSA Design
Structural engineer: Schaefer
MEP: Korda
Technology/fire protection engineer: Advanced Engineering Consultants
Civil engineer: Advanced Civil Design, Inc.
Landscape: POD Design
Commissioning: Motz Engineering
Construction manager: Elford, Inc. and Continental Building Company