Page 64 - ArchitectureDC_Spring2015

Climbing wall. Concourse and staircase. Photo © Robert Benson Photography
Photo © Anice Hoachlander/Hoachlander Davis Photography
at the Tech Rec complex. Current offerings include Zumba
for seniors, young artist workshops, video editing, pre-
school hip-hop, robotics, Tai Chi, fitness boot camp, math
skills, line dancing, cosmetology, and much more. “The
health and wellness portion of the program has been
very well thought out and is designed to accommodate
those who are just beginning their [regimens] in addition
to those who are serious about their sports and workouts,”
said Sorg.
The building is poised for LEED Silver certification
and, in spite of a strict budget, incorporates numerous
sustainable strategies such as a stormwater management
program that includes a pond, several bio-retention areas,
and a green roof on a large portion of the structure. The
building has a geothermal mechanical system consisting
of a ground-source heat exchanger and high-efficiency
heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning. Twenty percent
of construction materials came from salvaged, refurbished
or reused materials, and low-VOC-emitting materials are
used throughout.
The center includes an environmental learning room
that provides lessons using some of the building’s green
features. In many ways, the building’s technology and
62 REC MEETS HIGH-TECH
up-to-date sustainability features are all teaching tools
at Tech Rec. “We all learned in so many ways,” said
M-NCPPC’s Johnson. “A new building with this
much new technology and construction techniques
has required our facility managers to really upgrade
their skills.”
“Public clients need transparency,” added Johnson.
“We have to get the biggest benefit on public tax dollars
and we did it with this project. This has turned out to
be a transitional project for M-NCPPC and is really the
model now for how to involve the community. This
facility is a truly a manifestation of the hopes and desires
of that community.”
In talking about her team’s exhaustive community
consultation process that dealt with all aspects of the
design and program of the project, Sorg said, “Sometimes
there can be a certain timidity when dealing with under-
served communities, but there certainly wasn’t any here.
I wanted a building that doesn’t hold back in any way and
I was confident I could get the community to come along
with us in the design process. And they absolutely did.”
Apparently so, since Sorg Architects is now at work
on M-NCPPC’s new Aquatic Center right next door.