We’re proud to be recognized alongside our partners and collaborators on each project:

• Colby College, Sasaki and Hopkins Architects, Consigli Construction Co.
• CCSU, Sasaki, Downes Construction
• UMBC, Sasaki and Marshall Craft Associates, Vinton Schafer & Sons

The NIRSA Outstanding Facilities Awards recognize the innovative designs of new, renovated, or expanded collegiate recreational facilities. Here is a link to all of this year’s NIRSA Awards recipients for 2022.

More about the winning projects

Colby College Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center

The 350,000-square-foot Colby College state-of-the-art Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center transcends conventional athletics and recreation center design, efficiently and elegantly integrating all of Colby’s indoor competition venues, training areas, and other support spaces to comprehensively serve every athletics, recreation, and wellness program on campus. The bold design complements the existing traditional campus architecture, signaling a new chapter for Colby athletics and recreation. The center is another example of the College’s ongoing commitment to excellence, and is one in a series of investments to create and support best-in-class programs that set it apart as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

Central Connecticut State University C.J. Huang Recreation Center

Sasaki designed a new recreation facility as an addition to their existing 1970s-era sports facility, where recreational space was nominal and often competing with the needs of athletics. The new 58,000-square-foot addition provides dedicated recreation space for the university’s 12,000 students and staff. The program includes a three-court gym, elevated running track, weights and fitness space, group exercise rooms, and recreation administration space.

University of Maryland Baltimore County Retriever Activities Center

A renovation and enhancement of the outdated Retriever Activities Center (RAC) to revitalize and accommodate immediate demands for recreation and wellness activities, while planning for the future inclusion of health services and counseling. By simplifying and reimagining a new lobby and check-in experience for students and staff, the new facility exhibits a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere. The project will add approximately 10,000 square feet of cardio and weights space, including a new functional fitness area overlooking the main arena court. A new track at the mezzanine balcony level of the main arena gym will serve daily rec use, in addition to providing practice space for the track team in the winter months. The integration of program elements such as relaxation, lounge areas and cardio adjacent to, or within, circulation areas leads to higher efficiencies and space use. Flexible, multipurpose spaces designed with many functions and users in mind allow for the overlap of programs and utilization for building users and club sports teams.