The Landing

The United States Air Force Academy is located in Colorado Springs, CO and has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,000 students. For this design studio, we set out to design a student recreation center on the Air Force Academy Campus.

The Landing creates a sense of being grounded and stabilized through its comfortable feel and variety of spaces. Its L-shape form frames outdoor recreational areas and is articulated by three volumes.

In the western volume, administrative and study areas are on the first floor with additional recreational spaces on the second floor. To create a grand entrance, the central volume is the tallest and features the main entrance, lobby, and a rock climbing wall. Finally, the eastern volume contains the indoor courts and is illuminated by a north-facing sawtooth roof. The design, including the structural grid and parking layout, follows a 7-foot module inspired by the original layout of the Air Force Academy.

Glazing on the south facade illuminates the entrance and emphasizes the building’s height. Shading treatments include a deep roof overhang, horizontal shading device above the vestibule, and two triangular vertical fins. A distinguishing facade feature is the metal paneling. These panels create a reveal between the concrete and windows, with triangulated cutouts that become denser vertically, providing a feeling of taking off and becoming lighter at the top.

Site PlanFrom the road north of the athletic fields, cadets can cross a monumental bridge to reach the main entrance. Alternatively, cadets and visitors can park in the lot northwest of the building and walk to the entrance via a covered walkway along the west facade. The outdoor area adjacent to the parking lot extends the program with additional recreational spaces, including exterior courts and a turf field.

First Floor

Second Floor

Site Selection & Schematic Design

This site was selected due to its visibility from the main drive and proximity to the existing sports fields and track.

Student Wellness and Recreation Center, North Idaho College

Michelle and Barack Obama Sports Complex

Eastside Recreation Center, El Paso, TX

Norm Asbjornson Hall, Montana State University

When designing this sports facility, we examined the existing language of the campus architecture and took inspiration from these forms, materials, and style. A few of the elements that took priority in this design were the international building style, concrete, glazing, overhangs, exposed structure, simplicity of form, connection to outdoor areas, and serpentine courtyard design.

At the beginning of this process, we reviewed various case studies to identify successful strategies. The projects above represent some of the designs most instrumental to our approach. A few elements we drew upon include: daylighting, connection to outdoors, intersection of activities, and pairing of materials.

For the material selection, it was important that The Landing provide a feeling of warmth and welcoming. Concrete was used due to its familiarity to campus. To complement the concrete, we incorporated a perforated metal panel that references the feeling of diffusion. Glazing was a large factor in the facade design as daylighting was a focus for this design. Based on the building orientation, the south and north facades received the majority of the glazing. Additionally, a sawtooth window design was implemented over the courts to bring in indirect, natural light.

Material Palette

Technical Details

Structure

The structure of this building was inspired by the Air Force Academy style, specifically its use of concrete and steel across campus. For the west volume, a fully steel structure with HSS columns and steel girders and beams supports the second floor, and steel girders and purlins support the roof. Concrete and steel were selected for the central volume to highlight the massive nature of the space. Finally, a pre-engineered metal building structure was used for the east volume. A custom shape made from tube structural steel was necessary to support the sawtooth roof over this volume. The roof is supported by the steel rigid frames, sawtooth forms, and purlins.

Systems

This sports facility will use a geothermal system due to its location on campus and suitable ground conditions. The large portion of flat land on our site being used for parking and courtyard means there is a space for a horizontal loop system. Two locations will house ground source heat pumps, with one located to the west and one between the central and east volume. These heat pumps will be able to connect to the geothermal system and branch into the four total air handling units necessary for the building’s heating and cooling. Ductwork is exposed in many locations including the lobby, fitness, corridors, study, cardio bridge, and courts.

The Landing Presentation.pdf

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