ASU grabs gold medal for sustainable fitness facility

The Polytechnic Campus Sun Devil Fitness Complex has earned a gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The complex is the 23rd ASU building to receive a gold certification, which is the second highest green building ranking under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program. The Polytechnic Campus Sun Devil Fitness Complex is the 39th ASU building to be LEED certified.

ASU Facilities Development and Management completed work on the 61,000-square-foot facility in January 2013.

“This significant project has allowed ASU to provide a state-of-the-art fitness environment for our students, and to embrace sustainable design and technologies – especially in energy conservation,” said Bruce Jensen, interim associate vice president, ASU Facilities Development and Management.

The project received 17 out of 19 points for optimizing energy performance on its LEED scorecard. Solar panels and a solar pool heater boosted the project to a perfect score for its ability to create onsite renewable energy.

"The Architekton design team went above and beyond to make this building energy efficient,” said John Kane, the ASU project manager who oversaw construction. Kane, the founding partner and design principal at Architekton, is also an ASU architecture alumnus. “LEED criteria look at how well the building will perform in its location. Given the hot summers and almost constant sunny days here, we felt it was an imperative to make efficiency an integral part of the design.”

Passive cooling of the building became a hallmark of the design. The facility was designed to funnel air thorough a breezeway near the building’s core, removing heat and providing shade.

“This facility is further testament to ASU’s leadership role in developing highly sustainable environments," said Edmundo Soltero, assistant vice president of the ASU Office of the University Architect.

The $25,590,000 complex was funded from a student services facility fee implemented in fall 2011. The facility fee also funded student recreation projects at the ASU Tempe, Downtown and West campuses.

The Polytechnic Campus Sun Devil Fitness Complex was constructed in direct response to student demand and input. Student committees helped program the complex, which includes a host of amenities:

• weight and fitness areas
• an outdoor leisure pool with lap lanes
• soccer and softball fields

The complex boasts three multipurpose studios for aerobics, boot camp, yoga, dance, Pilates and student club use. New gymnasiums house space for basketball, volleyball, badminton, campus events, conferences, concerts and indoor soccer. Racquetball courts and an expanded health services department round out the building’s offerings. Programs and services are open at the facility during the day, as well as evenings and weekends.

Gilbane Inc. was the project’s construction manager, and design firm Architekton was the architect.

Eric Jensen, eric.jensen@asu.edu
ASU Facilities Development and Management