perfect. The space will feel different when it is built. So, what
would have been done differently
if we had a reset button? Well, a
lot.
Social space. Unfortunately,
the Climbing Center’s footprint
evolved as the overall OAC
project progressed. What started
as a large, open, rectangular
envelope became encroached on
by a school-bus-sized mechanical
room. The space’s alteration came
down to competing influences:
Would the Climbing Center
have its own HVAC system built
to withstand the harsh, chalky
environment, or would precious
square footage be preserved for
a more engaging integration of
climbing and social space? In the
end, efforts to gain a variance to
campus design standards failed,
and the rectangular projection
into the climbing space became
affectionately known as the
“Magic School Bus.” The impact
is that climbing space now feels
tight and shifts all social/relaxing
space to the flanks of the gym. If
the space had been retained, the
floor plan would have allowed for
more seating in the center and a
better line of sight of the whole
space.
Setting storage. Ask any gym
operator, and you’re likely to
hear this come up. Either a lot of
time and resources were spent to
ensure adequate storage space
for holds and equipment, or they
have something that works but
is lacking. The scarcity of space
was a constant challenge in this
project. Square footage equals
real dollars. When initial bids
came back significantly over
budget, it took every bit of inge-
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nuity to keep from sacrificing
overall square footage in the
building. Ceilings were lowered
and finishes were scaled back,
but the building footprint stayed
the same. That meant a dedicated
storage space for setting just
wasn’t in the cards. Programmatic
space took priority.
Today, our setters use the very
limited space behind one of the
climbing structures. If money
were no concern, a space adjacent to the Climbing Center
would have been designated to
hold storage, including a mop
sink and space for cleaning holds.
Connectivity between climbing
space and the rest of OAC.
During the design phase, the
logical mindset was to create a
distinction between the Climbing
Center and the rest of the OAC. It
would ensure more control over
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