Whitman College Baker Ferguson Fitness and Aquatic Center
Whitman College Baker Ferguson Fitness and Aquatic Center
Walla Walla, WA
Whitman College is consistently ranked as one of the top 50 liberal arts colleges in the United States. In order to continue to attract the most qualified students in an increasingly competitive environment, Whitman was compelled to develop a state-of-the art student fitness center.
The Baker Ferguson Center combines two essential components: a new fitness center and an eight-lane collegiate competition swimming pool. Locker rooms, coaches’ offices, meeting rooms, and spectator seating for the swimming pool are located in a two-story bar that separates the tall volumes of the fitness center and the swimming pool.
In the pool area, glazing is limited at the street level to provide privacy for the swimmers. Above, continuous windows provide abundant daylight. In the fitness area, the relationship is reversed: the continuous lower window wall provides expansive views of the campus and expresses the activity of the fitness center on its exterior.
The Baker Ferguson Fitness and Aquatic Center keeps Whitman College competitive in terms of its position in the athletic conference as well as with liberal arts colleges across the country.
Photography: Michael Burns
Client
Whitman College
Data
38,000-sf facility
Completed
2006
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