Contents

War Memorial Hall

Virginia Tech campus holds two buildings with recreation centers accessible for all students and staff. War Memorial was the first to be built, and has reached the need for renovation. It does not have air conditioning, is filled with old and unpolished equipment, and is much smaller in size than the other center on campus, McComas Hall. As of March 2020, War Memorial was shut down in pursuit of these renovations, which have been delayed numerous times. The construction is currently in progress today.

Mission Statement

War Memorial Hall provides a recreation center for Virginia Tech students that creates community connection through movement by bringing varying forms of fitness together in an on-campus facility. With the intention of bringing students back on campus to pursue their fitness activities, the mission is to provide an abundance of equipment as well as variety to meet the needs of the large student population.

Problem Statement

This program intends to offer a new set of amenities and open gym space for Virginia Tech students. War Memorial has been shut down since Spring 2020, and is currently beginning a long awaited renovation process. For the past two years, Virginia Tech has been operating with McComas Hall as their one and only recreational facility, making for issues of overcrowding and over usage of equipment. The reopening of War Memorial will ease some of these evident issues, but with great design it can not only offer more space for exercise, but opportunities to move in new ways on campus.

Goal Statement

With a much needed facility renovation, the goal of this project is to set a foundation for a space that appeals to current and projected future trends in exercise and movement. Implementing flexibility and adaptability will allow the space to serve as a more sustainable and everlasting environment for Virginia Tech students of the present and future to get fruitful experiences and memories.

The War Memorial Hall Renovation is overseen by the leadership of Recreational Sports, which is part of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech. The three stakeholders below have stood as representatives of the overall body that is “the client” for the research portion of this project.

The Users

Virginia Tech Campus Facilities serve over 30,000 Hokies on campus. The athletic program runs around the year intramural sports teams, group fitness classes, personal training, and promotional events through the university to bring the students into the recreation centers,

Recreational Sports employs over 500 students between facility management and instructors, trainers and coaches. There is also a crew of about 40 professional staff members that oversee operations like facility management, fitness, aquatics, Venture Out, custodial management, etc.

Students Staff Community

Virginia Tech is the core community of Blacksburg, VA. Whether it is town locals, students, staff, family members, or any other category, the community stands strong as a connected unit. Rec Sports coordinates many events that are open for the community to get involved and stay active.