Contract - January/February 2010 - (Page 90)

interiors awards spa/fitness By Alex Palmer Photography by Peter Mauss/ESTO project: client: The Center for Wellness at The College of New Rochelle New Rochelle, N.Y. ikon.5 architects/Galina Design Group When the leaders of New York’s College of New Rochelle asked Joseph Tattoni to design a wellness center that would fit in with the surrounding landscape, they probably did not expect that he would literally build it into the landscape. Tattoni, the principal of Princeton, N.J.-based ikon.5 architects, worked with the College of New Rochelle on a sustainable design that eventually built a third of the building—including a pool and locker area—below grade. The plan called for a design that would be distinctly modern while at the same time complementing the 19th-century residences of the local neighborhood, as well as the gothic design of the wider campus. “The college wanted the building to look more innovative than it looked old, but they did want it to have a connection back to the 100-year development of the campus,” says Tattoni. In building the project, Tattoni and his team used the same Westchester granite that proliferates throughout the campus buildings. During the building process, they were able to preserve 87 maple and oak trees, as well as historic specimen trees such as a sycamore at the entry of the building. The building houses a 1,500-seat gymnasium and fitness and aerobic center, as well as the natatorium, several education rooms, a meditation room, and an outside contemplation chapel garden on the rooftop. “It was about approaching it the same way they teach education at the college: that is, total human wellness, which includes not only the body but also the mind and spirit,” says Tattoni. The designer connected this variety of elements and design goals to an overarching theme of “The Garden of Eden”—a paradise of total health with a sustainable design that evokes the wider health of the planet as a whole. (The facility was designed to achieve a LEED silver rating.) The College of New Rochelle location: designer: jury comment: “This project is a great study of solid and void (transparency) using materiality. The seamless blending of architecture and interiors conveys an athletic facility emerging from the ground plane, complete with natural materials that move between interior and exterior. Skylights, clerestory, and extensive use of framed views create a great vessel to capture the light.” contract january/february 2010 www.contractmagazine.com http://www.contractmagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - January/February 2010

Contract - January/February 2010
Contents
Editorial
Industry
Resources
Not Just for Specifiers
Designers of the Year
Legend Award
The 31st Annual Interiors Awards
Large Office
Small Office
Education
Healthcare
Hotel
Retail
Restaurant
Exhibit
Showroom
Spa/Fitness
Sports/Entertainment
Public Space
Restoration
Adaptive Reuse
Environmental Design
Designers Rate: Ergonomic Seating
Less is More
Ad Index

Contract - January/February 2010