The building is a new gym addition. As part of an existing facility, it was important to connect existing team rooms & lobby spaces to the new gym. The pavilion provides new competition basketball and volleyball courts, two full size practice ‘cross’ courts and greater seating capacity than the existing gym. Lobby gathering space, locker rooms, officiating facilities and a new concessions area are also included. Named for long time Athletics Director the pavilion serves as a monument to Scott Yates & the Kent Denver Schools’ commitment to athletics. Limited facility space forced some student activities to begin as early as 5:30 a.m. with others to concluding at 10:30p.m., interfering with academics. The school also in need of new gathering facilities for assemblies & all-school functions. Continuing the schools’ commitment to sustainability the project has achieved LEED Gold Certification.

The project is organized into two major programmatic components: One for sport/assembly, the other for circulation and support spaces. The program requirements of latter dictate a smaller volume, which was inserted between the existing gym and the new larger gym volume. The reduction is scale breaks up the mass of the complex & allows the pavilion a unique expression while continuing to read as part of a whole. A number of gestures on the exterior relate to the original 1960’s era gym. The new building reinterprets & continues brick entry elements & canopies. The rhythm of the original expanses of standing seam metal panel modules is adopted in concrete reveals.

The building explores symmetry: both perceived & expressed. Athletic program requirements suggest a symmetrical box, budget & schedule dictate economy. Tilt-up concrete panels, often associated with warehouses, were utilized for the gym walls due to their speed of erection and cost effectiveness. A custom reveal pattern was developed to mitigate the visual impact of the monolithic concrete wall. The pattern uses common reveal elements and arrangement of standard sized form work that modulates in depth to create dynamic shadows. These repetitive structural elements are layered with repeating patterns arranged to create the notion of asymmetry.

Dedication to enhancing the program and user experience with natural light becomes the outward expression of the building. While the shadow reveals change the buildings outward expression throughout the day, poly-carbonate panels at the north and south faces of the building ensure even light distribution across the day. The poly-carbonate gives the space consistent, ample daylighting and glows in the evening expressing the activity within.

“It’s just a box!” was the client’s common mantra when discussing the project budget and schedule. Consistent with the client’s desires, the tight budget and schedule were met, as well as the design team’s desire to provide a simple, yet elegant, solution to a common project type. A typically cavernous volume has instead been designed as a naturally illuminated room that feels both sacred and dynamic; a tribute to the school’s passion for athletics.