The annual awards recognize new buildings, renovations, and expansions that demonstrate excellence in architectural design, function, and creativity while elevating the higher education experience for students. The project, designed by HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment practice, was selected for exemplifying innovation in recreational facility design.
The design of the South Campus Recreation Center at Ole Miss transformed an abandoned Whirlpool manufacturing plant into a new hub for fitness, wellness, and recreation. The warehouse space previously featured tilt-up, precast panels. The design team, which included JBHM Architecture, opened these up with a dramatic curtainwall that showcases the activity happening within.
With an indoor climbing wall as the centerpiece of the space, programming includes 25,000 square feet of fitness space, three fitness studios, two basketball courts, a multi-activity court, a track, a classroom demonstration kitchen, a convenience store, and offices. There are dedicated spaces for wellness education, outdoor programming, and personal training. Two fields for intramural sports, sport clubs, and informal recreation are adjacent to the facility, which serves as a campus transportation hub connecting the site to Ole Miss’s main campus.
