Intro
Warren G. Harding High School Wellness & Recreation Center
Phillips Sekanick Architects collaborated with the Administration and Board of Education in the development of the new Wellness & Recreation Center on the campus of the Warren G. Harding High School. The development of the nearly 130,000 SF center focuses on expanding wellness opportunities for students within the district. The new building includes a running track, walking track, multi-sport practice area, student-run bistro, yoga and sensory rooms, study stairs, e-sports facility and robotics lab. The building will also incorporate services of several health care providers focusing on student and community wellness. The building, currently under construction, will open the locker wing in August 2023 and the remainder of the building in early 2024.
Details
Warren G. Harding High School Wellness & Recreation Center
Challenge
The Administration and Board of Education of Warren City Schools came to the realization that a more inclusive sports and wellness center was needed to provide greater academic and athletic opportunities for the district’s students. Limited by the campus configuration, a new building needed to be developed that would be able to connect existing facilities within the athletic wing with those planned for the new addition. The site was further constrained by the location of the football stadium that was sited in a prominent location on the campus.
Solution
The design developed by Phillips Sekanick Architects connected the existing building to the football stadium by infilling the existing parking and access drives with the new building. The nearly 130,000 SF two-story addition connected the new wellness area with the football facilities. On the northside, new locker rooms and an outdoor study/green roof area was added to replace existing lockers that had outlived their usefulness. A new two-story structure was designed to connect the lockers with the existing school to provide not only additional learning facilities, but also added athletic and healthcare spaces.