Building or renovating a recreation center in 2025 requires a different mindset than it did even a few years ago — in large part because of rapidly evolving technology. From advances in heating, ventilation and air conditioning to materials used for enhancing aesthetics to the very way in which users interact with and experience a facility, tech changes are continually influencing how recreation centers are designed and constructed.
This is increasingly evident in the campus recreation realm, where college and university administrators often have the will and financial resources to implement some of the latest innovations.
“The biggest change in the last three to five years is all about making everything as seamless as possible for students to use technology from the moment they walk into a facility — from access to using a piece of equipment to buying a smoothie and signing up for a class,” says Colleen McKenna, a principal at CannonDesign, a leading designer of campus recreation centers. “Previously, everything was independent. Now, it’s often done through one device using universal campus recreation management software, which makes it a much better experience for anyone using the building.”
While architects can’t take credit for those types of technological innovations, they certainly can leverage them, which is why they’re offering clients more options than ever when developing or updating facilities.
“No single technology does everything,” says Jack Patton, a principal at RDG Planning & Design, another leading designer in the campus recreation space. “But what recreation directors decide to buy and put into a building is important. And that process can be overwhelming.”
In an attempt to make the undertaking a little less overwhelming, what follows is a look at some of the most common — and a few emerging — technologies at work in campus recreation centers today.
Photo by Tom Holdsworth courtesy of MJMA
Practical innovations
New developments in HVAC systems have “ramped things up for us” in terms of design options, according to Patton.
“In college recreation — and community recreation, too — wellness involves being surrounded by good nutrition, good air, good sustainability practices,” he says. “The word ‘sustainable,’ for a long time, has been a buzzword and maybe even a trigger for some people, but sustainability for me is about longevity and continuous operation. And it reminds us of the foundational things that are germane to wellness. Technology has the opportunity to reinforce that.”
To that end, air-handling systems now come equipped with sensors that can gauge the number of humans in a given space and whether they are actively exercising or behaving in a more leisurely manner. The sensors also can, among other things, detect chloramine levels in natatorium air to more effectively fight bacteria.
“Those things would have seemed just out of this world a few years ago,” Patton admits.
Granted, the idea of improving indoor air quality has been around for as long as people have needed to breathe indoor air, and occupancy sensors (think light switches) started appearing decades ago. But those capabilities can now send data to a facility’s mechanical systems and essentially convert them from static airflow systems to demand-based ones — ultimately reducing energy costs throughout the facility. According to Patton, add-on sensors also can be installed on existing mechanical systems, depending on the age of the equipment being modified.
Speaking of capturing data, campus recreation management software systems can provide facility operators with more insight into usage patterns than previously available. Without identifying specific users, they can track who (students, faculty, staff) uses the facility and when, what they do, how long they stay, whether they participate in free or paid classes, and much more. Such granular details as exit times and usage specificity, unavailable on older and less sophisticated management software systems, can be vital when planning a new recreation center or renovating an existing one. With that kind of data, for example, architects are able to better design right-size spaces based at least in part on demand and occupancy rates.
“That data starts to inform decision-making,” McKenna says. “If one group exercise class is way more popular, you may need to add more of those classes and drop others that aren’t really being used as much. It can tell you what’s working and what’s not working — which also can help inform design. You’ll have the data to back up your pitch to a senior administration official who’s saying, ‘Prove to me that your building is really full.’ ”
Even QR codes, an already popular and reliable way to access information quickly, are being used in new ways. For example, some campus recreation centers now apply them to pieces of fitness equipment to encourage users to help staff better maintain that equipment.
“Let’s say a user notices a piece of equipment that isn’t working. They can scan the QR code and request service on that machine,” McKenna says. “Plus, when you have any piece of fitness equipment tracked with QR codes, you know exactly how old it is. If a lease is coming up on a treadmill in a year and a half, you can determine whether you’re going to buy it or flip it. In the past, there was no way to track the condition of equipment. You didn’t know how many miles were on a treadmill. You just would walk up to it and say, ‘Yeah, that belt’s a little loose; I better replace it,’ or go back through your paper files and try to determine how old it was.”
Another technology change has to do with simply how cardio machines and other equipment is wired. Gone are the days when recreation centers relied on coaxial cables, category 6 cables, internet cables and others to power access to televisions and the internet.
“That’s five miles of wire that doesn’t exist anymore in a new building,” Patton says. “We used to put TVs all over the place. Now, everybody has a TV in their hands, and they’re getting so much of the content they’re looking for from their smartphones. We’ve just changed what we’re doing.”
The ‘wow’ factor
Not all technological developments are as vital to daily operations as others. In fact, they might even have a relatively short “wow factor” lifespan. Nevertheless, Patton and McKenna say they’re either seeing the implementation of or are aware of increasing interest in the following technologies:
• Vending machines for sports and exercise equipment: Rather than make users check out such items as basketballs, volleyballs or weight belts at a central location, vending machines similar to (but larger than) the ones that dispense food and beverages could soon take up residence near gymnasiums and weight-training areas. Students can slide an ID card, access the equipment and then return it. Failure to return items generally results in the inability to access any others until the initially checked-out items are returned or paid for.
“We’ve seen recently at trade shows that manufacturers provide the opportunity to test them, potentially eliminating a checkout desk,” Patton says. “I think there are good customer service reasons to keep a checkout desk, but there also might be an argument for putting equipment vending machines in distant locations, especially in larger facilities.”
• Autonomous field-marking equipment: Field-striping robots are becoming more common for preparing outdoor grass fields for intramural activities and club sports. The autonomous machines feature built-in GPS systems and user apps that allow for fast application without the need for human assistance, and manufacturers of the products claim savings of time, money and paint.
“I think in 20 years, that might just be the standard,” Patton says, adding that interest from college recreation professionals has increased in recent months. “They’re on the market today, they’re being used today and they’re a very viable solution.”
• Polychromatic windows: Polychromatic windows are made from a special type of glass that impacts translucency based on light conditions or electrical charges. They can be automated and utilized to enhance privacy in both public and internal spaces. They also can control the amount of incoming daylight to affect heat load within the building. Users are able to determine the percentage of opacity, which provides an advantage over less-expensive options such as window shades or blinds.
“There is, without question, a cool factor to it,” Patton says.
• Advances in group exercise: McKenna cites the popularity of Orangetheory Fitness cardio and strength programs as an ongoing influence on college recreation group exercise classes.
“You’re basically competing while on display. You’ve got the leaderboards, which fuel competition and excitement and energy,” she says. “Are those kinds of interactive displays just a fad — or will they stick? And compare them to wearable devices that give you instant feedback privately. Wearables have grown so much over the years that the data that comes out of them, that constant feedback loop, is very appealing to just about everybody. Right now, wearable technology is tremendously exciting. But will it transcend into the built environment, so that you have the Orangetheory approach in campus rec centers?”
All of these innovations come with some level of “gee whiz” factor, not to mention additional costs. For these reasons, McKenna and Patton recommend proceeding with caution.
“There are so many trendy things that come and go,” McKenna says. “Technology changes so dramatically. I always tell clients to wait until the last possible moment to commit and make a purchase.”
She also recommends beta-testing technologies with students to make sure it will be well received before making the leap to an expensive program that could ultimately fail.
“Some of the trends we see start in the private market, at boutique studios and small clubs, and ultimately end up moving into the world of campus recreation,” McKenna adds. “In many ways, they almost get beta tested in private clubs. Whether the trends stick is a whole other thing. But students are exposed to them, maybe closer to their homes. They go to a private club, they have a great experience and they come back to their campus rec center and say, ‘Hey, why can’t we do that?’ ”
“My advice,” Patton concludes, “is to bring in design professionals who have experienced the kinds of changes we’ve had over the past 20 years and can help you visualize what’s possible and — if nothing else — at least get the proper infrastructure in place. I also encourage recreation professionals to go see what others are doing with technology, because we’ve never run into one who doesn’t share.”
