Kenyon Athletic Center
Encyclopedia
The Kenyon Athletic Center (KAC) is an athletic center
and student union serving the Kenyon College
and Gambier village
communities in Ohio
. It was designed by architect Graham Gund
and opened to the public on 25 January 2006. The facility cost approximately $70 million to build.
, who was consulted while making designs for the "state-of-the-art" natatorium
.
The KAC was built on the south end of Kenyon's campus, over the site of the former Wertheimer Fieldhouse, which was demolished to make way for the new facility. Construction began in 2003 and the facility was first opened to the public on 25 January 2006, two semesters after the originally projected date of completion (May 2005) and almost three years after the beginning of construction.
-like structure approximately 540 feet (164.6 m) long and 300 feet (91.4 m) wide, or 265000 square feet (24,619.3 m²) in total, with an arching roof supported by concrete columns in the center of the building and along the perimeter. A frequently noted feature of the building is the use of glass to create an "open" feel and provide natural lighting—most of the outer wall is made of baffled
glass panels. There is also integratedness between the different areas of the facility: most interior walls do not reach the ceiling, making it possible to see and hear activities in other parts of the building.
A key feature of the building is its natatorium, which serves as the principal training for the "Lords" and "Ladies" Kenyon swimming teams; the Lords have won 31 consecutive NCAA Division III championships, making them the team with the most NCAA titles in any sport, and the Ladies have won 23 (nonconsecutive) titles. The natatorium includes an olympic-size swimming pool with a "state-of-the-art regenerative media filter" (which, it has been claimed, saves 600,000 gallons of water a year), and is climate-controlled
and hermetically sealed off from the rest of the facility.
The glass walls of the facility also play an important role in heating and regulating the temperature of the building: the glass panels have reflective coatings that control the entry of heat into the building, and are made up of two panes separated by a pocket of air which, along with the air between the glass panels and the interior sound baffling, are meant to help insulate the building and preserve energy. According to Calvin Frost, chairman of the Channeled Resources Group, Kenyon students placed a high value on ecological friendliness when sharing their attitudes about the KAC.
In addition to its natatorium, the KAC includes a 200-meter indoor track, tennis courts, and a basketball arena. As one of the primary goals of the building's design was to cater to recreational users and the student community in addition to varsity athletes, it also includes a 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) weight and fitness room, a multi-purpose athletic court for intramural sports and community use, squash
courts, dance studios, conference rooms, a movie theater, and a small café.
for the 2007 Will Graham Celebration, which was attended by approximately 5,000 people. The event was met with some controversy among the mostly liberal–progressive
Kenyon College community, as Graham's father Franklin Graham
had been accused of making discriminatory anti-Islamic
statements; numerous students and faculty called the choice to host the event "inappropriate" and criticized Kenyon's administration for having allowed it.
Several weeks before the Celebration, about 300 residents of Knox County, Ohio
, in which Kenyon is located, gathered near the Kenyon Athletic Center for a "Surround the KAC" event to "form a shield of protection" around the property in preparation for the Celebration. The event was also intended as an outreach to the non-Christian community. In order to avoid trespassing on college property, the group used the public roads around the athletic facility to surround and "bath[e] the building in prayer".
Field House
Field House or Fieldhouse is a common name for indoor sports arenas and stadiums, mostly used for college basketball, volleyball, or ice hockey.-Colorado:*Balch Fieldhouse, University of Colorado...
and student union serving the Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
and Gambier village
Gambier, Ohio
Gambier is a village in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,871 at the 2000 census.Gambier is the home of Kenyon College and was named after one of Kenyon College's early benefactors, Lord Gambier....
communities in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. It was designed by architect Graham Gund
Graham Gund
Graham de Conde Gund is an American architect and the president of the Gund Partnership, an American architecture firm based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and founded by Gund in 1971...
and opened to the public on 25 January 2006. The facility cost approximately $70 million to build.
Planning and construction
Plans were begun in 2001 for an athletic center to replace the then-outdated Ernst Center and Wertheimer Fieldhouse that had previously served Kenyon College. The building was originally intended to be called the Fitness, Recreation, and Athletic facility (FRA). Designs were made in collaboration with coaches and other athletics personnel, such as swimming coach Jim SteenJim Steen
James Steen has been the head coach of the swim teams at Kenyon College since 1976.Steen's teams have won more NCAA championships than any other team in any division or any sport. The Lords have won 31 consecutive NCAA Division III championships, the first having been in 1980, while the Ladies...
, who was consulted while making designs for the "state-of-the-art" natatorium
Natatorium
A natatorium is a term given for a building containing a swimming pool. In Latin, a cella natatoria was a swimming pool in its own building, although it is sometimes also used to refer to any indoor pool even if not housed in a dedicated building...
.
The KAC was built on the south end of Kenyon's campus, over the site of the former Wertheimer Fieldhouse, which was demolished to make way for the new facility. Construction began in 2003 and the facility was first opened to the public on 25 January 2006, two semesters after the originally projected date of completion (May 2005) and almost three years after the beginning of construction.
Architecture and features
The athletic center consists of a hangarHangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
-like structure approximately 540 feet (164.6 m) long and 300 feet (91.4 m) wide, or 265000 square feet (24,619.3 m²) in total, with an arching roof supported by concrete columns in the center of the building and along the perimeter. A frequently noted feature of the building is the use of glass to create an "open" feel and provide natural lighting—most of the outer wall is made of baffled
Sound baffle
A sound baffle is a construction or device which reduces the strength of airborne sound. Sound baffles are a fundamental tool of noise mitigation, the practice of minimizing noise pollution or reverberation. An important type of sound baffle is the noise barrier constructed along highways to...
glass panels. There is also integratedness between the different areas of the facility: most interior walls do not reach the ceiling, making it possible to see and hear activities in other parts of the building.
A key feature of the building is its natatorium, which serves as the principal training for the "Lords" and "Ladies" Kenyon swimming teams; the Lords have won 31 consecutive NCAA Division III championships, making them the team with the most NCAA titles in any sport, and the Ladies have won 23 (nonconsecutive) titles. The natatorium includes an olympic-size swimming pool with a "state-of-the-art regenerative media filter" (which, it has been claimed, saves 600,000 gallons of water a year), and is climate-controlled
HVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
and hermetically sealed off from the rest of the facility.
The glass walls of the facility also play an important role in heating and regulating the temperature of the building: the glass panels have reflective coatings that control the entry of heat into the building, and are made up of two panes separated by a pocket of air which, along with the air between the glass panels and the interior sound baffling, are meant to help insulate the building and preserve energy. According to Calvin Frost, chairman of the Channeled Resources Group, Kenyon students placed a high value on ecological friendliness when sharing their attitudes about the KAC.
In addition to its natatorium, the KAC includes a 200-meter indoor track, tennis courts, and a basketball arena. As one of the primary goals of the building's design was to cater to recreational users and the student community in addition to varsity athletes, it also includes a 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) weight and fitness room, a multi-purpose athletic court for intramural sports and community use, squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
courts, dance studios, conference rooms, a movie theater, and a small café.
Recognition
The facility has been widely praised for its architectural design, and has won several awards. It won the 2007 Facilities of Merit award from Athletic Business magazine, the New England AIA Merit Award for Design Excellence, and the Boston Society of Architects Honor Award, and was nominated for the 2007 Court of the Year award from the American Sports Builders Association. On the other hand, it has also received some criticism for its high cost.Use in 2007 Will Graham celebration
From 5 to 7 October 2007, the KAC was rented out to Will Graham of the Billy Graham Evangelistic AssociationBilly Graham Evangelistic Association
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is an organization started by Billy Graham in 1950. The main focus of the BGEA is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible...
for the 2007 Will Graham Celebration, which was attended by approximately 5,000 people. The event was met with some controversy among the mostly liberal–progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
Kenyon College community, as Graham's father Franklin Graham
Franklin Graham
William Franklin Graham III , known publicly as Franklin Graham, is an American Christian evangelist and missionary. He is the president and CEO of both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse.He currently lives in Boone,...
had been accused of making discriminatory anti-Islamic
Islamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
statements; numerous students and faculty called the choice to host the event "inappropriate" and criticized Kenyon's administration for having allowed it.
Several weeks before the Celebration, about 300 residents of Knox County, Ohio
Knox County, Ohio
Knox County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 60,921. Its county seat is Mount Vernon and is named for Henry Knox, an officer in the American Revolutionary War who was later the first Secretary of War....
, in which Kenyon is located, gathered near the Kenyon Athletic Center for a "Surround the KAC" event to "form a shield of protection" around the property in preparation for the Celebration. The event was also intended as an outreach to the non-Christian community. In order to avoid trespassing on college property, the group used the public roads around the athletic facility to surround and "bath[e] the building in prayer".