Construction @ rice
Getting Physical
When Rice students, faculty and staff want to exercise more red cells than gray cells, the new Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center offers the perfect solution. With everything from weight machines, swimming pools and ping-pong tables to basketball and racquetball courts, the 103,000-square-foot center provides a host of fitness options for Rice community members.
“It is a fabulous addition to our campus in every sense,” said Rice University President David Leebron. “It will help us reinforce our sense of community as we bring students, faculty and staff together, and it will enable all members of our community to stay physically fit while they pursue their intellectual endeavors.” The two-story building, which opened Sept. 25, features an industrial-style interior with lofty ceilings, exposed ductwork, and concrete floors and beams. A freestanding concrete staircase serves as a lobby centerpiece, and pinewood benches, handrails and other accents add warmth to the interior. In addition, Rice has commissioned a hanging sculpture by former Rice Gallery artist Aurora Robson to fill the vertical space created by the lobby’s 36-foot ceiling. The artwork is scheduled for installation in January. The recreation center’s first floor offers 9,000 square feet of state-of-the-art cardio and weight machines, as well as four racquetball and two squash courts, an activity area that includes ping-pong and pool tables, and men’s and women’s locker rooms. In addition, an outdoor-adventure center allows members to rent equipment for camping, rock climbing, whitewater rafting and other excursions. Just outside the building are two basketball courts, and 15 Florida sabal palms surround a 2,400-square-foot recreation pool and a 50-meter competition pool. The second floor features two basketball courts, four multipurpose rooms for group fitness and dance classes, a practice and performance studio specifically designed for Rice Dance Theater, and a large multipurpose activity court for indoor soccer and other sports. The facility, which also features a personal-training and fitness-assessment center, adjoins a new
The new recreation center is part of a major construction initiative fueled by the Vision for the Second Century’s goal of increasing Rice’s student body and raising its international profile.
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