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  • Dynamic open lobby space is celebrated with the use of vibrant color and architectural forms for a wellness center that promotes an active and healthy student body.
  • Lobby reveals dramatic overlooks to new competition gymnasium below.
  • New competition gymnasium for small christian college provides athletics and recreational facilities that athletes, students, staff and community friends all enjoy.
  • New competition gymnasium serves whole college campus community.
  • The exterior expression of the new fitness complex relates to the existing auxiliary gymnasium and surrounding college campus buildings and community through use of similar exterior building materials and color.
  • The Trinity Athletics and Recreation Complex welcomes students, staff, athletes and the local community to promote health and fitness on campus and in the Palos Heights neighborhood.
  • Trinity Christian College Athletics and Recreation Complex gives campus new glow.
  • The energy of student activity is reflected by strong visual connections between the main level open lobby and awesome views from loft-like hospitality suite.
New competition gymnasium for small christian college provides athletics and recreational facilities that athletes, students, staff and community friends all enjoy.

Trinity Christian College Athletics & Rec.

Phase II - Share the vision.  Support The Time Is Now Campaign

Support Trinity Christiain College in building a new fitness center and learning expansion to contribute to the university



 

Phase I

  • new competition gymnasium
  • hospitality suite
  • concessions
  • classroom space
  • human performance and exercise science lab
  • training room
  • team locker rooms
  • officials locker rooms
  • offices 

Phase II

  • renovated member and visitor locker rooms
  • stacked fitness center
  • climbing wall
  • renovated Mitchell Memorial gym
  • classrooms

A Holistic Approach

Trinity Christian College wanted to give both students and student athletes a destination where all would feel included, welcomed, and at home.  The college hoped to provide recreational and educational amenities that would meet needs for the entire student body giving each person a real sense of ownership of the new building instead of exclusively catering to only the competitive athlete. 

One particular student type with virtually no place on campus to call their own were the adult commuter students enrolled in Trinity’s physical education program.  AMDG addressed this student group’s needs and others like it by designing several comfortable open seating areas throughout the building where any student group or individual could stop to meet, study, and naturally interact with other students.  An Exercise Science Lab and connecting Human Performance classroom offer physical education students experiential state-of-the-art learning opportunities.  Across the way, a new competition gym allows athletes to compete in hosted tournaments and offers fans a vibrant new destination for cheering on the Trolls.  The resulting energy between student types serves to enrich Trinity’s uniquely diverse student community.

A Healthy Approach

Health and fitness opportunities engaging the heart, soul, mind and body are important to every student’s well-being and can heavily impact college enrollment decisions.  Trinity wanted to invest in a quality facility that would draw prospective students by physically expressing their commitment to comprehensive wellness for every student. 

To address increasing student awareness of the importance of health and fitness, AMDG integrated design elements that promote and exercise spiritual, physical, and intellectual health.  Physical education classrooms facilitate rich learning environments in a Christian context.  The new competition gymnasium offers physical activities in trained competitive sports.  To celebrate the energy of dynamic student activity, strong visual connections were designed between the main level open lobby and top loading lower level gym, as well as overlooks from loft-like office and hospitality suites.  By creating spaces like these that develop and celebrate the whole health of each student, AMDG offers Trinity a tool for recruiting students to a college that genuinely values student health.

Building Elements

  • AMDG collaborated with Trinity to design a new competition gymnasium that preserved the existing gymnasium for auxiliary use.
  • The building site is located at the gateway to the college campus thereby creating opportunity for a more inviting entrance.  A new fitness center with views of the woods and a softly curving façade offer a warm welcome.
  • The new Athletics and Recreation Center expresses a similar language to the campus whole through continuity in exterior building materials and palette.
  • A new state-of-the-art exercise science lab and human performance classroom are distinguishing features of the growing physical education program at Trinity Christian.
  • Overlooking the new gymnasium is perched a sleek hospitality suite adjacent to staff offices for recruiting, as well as conference, education and special events.

Challenges Successfully Overcome

  • AMDG took a collaborative approach to teaming with both out-of-state and local consultants for an elevated level of expertise in both service and production.
  • Stewardship of building funds meant AMDG worked diligently to stretch Trinity’s investment.  Risk management was controlled in a construction management/architect partnership with Rockford.  The project team also leveraged cost savings by capitalizing on an exceptionally competitive bidding environment, through thorough documentation, and tight bid scopes.
  • The project was divided into two phases to begin construction with available funds.
  • Working remotely from West Michigan in Palos Heights, Illinois presented teaming, communication and management challenges that AMDG anticipated early on and successfully managed on a limited budget.

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