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The 2024 Columbine Award for Facility Design Renovation Goes to the Westminster Swim and Fitness Center
Essenza Architecture is thrilled to announce that the Westminster Swim & Fitness Center, operated by the City of Westminster’s Parks, Recreation and Libraries, has been honored with the 2024 Columbine Award for Renovated Facility Design by the Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA)! The Columbine Awards recognize outstanding achievements in parks and recreation throughout the state; CPRA presents the awards at the annual association conference and trade show, which took place in Keystone this year.
Over the past 3.5 years, a dedicated team of City staff, Essenza Architecture, and Mark Young Construction, along with the community’s support, have transformed the Westminster Swim & Fitness Center into a modern, accessible, and welcoming space. This award is a testament to the vision, dedication, and collaboration of everyone involved in the renovation project, including the local residents who will benefit from this revitalized facility.
The Westminster Swim & Fitness Center has provided residents a dedicated place for swimming, recreation, and community-building. After almost five decades of service, the City undertook a $6 million renovation to improve accessibility, guest and staff safety, programming opportunities, and overall efficiency. A grand re-opening celebration in mid-September welcomed guests to the City of Westminster’s refreshed community center.
The City of Westminster, Construction Projects Specialist Dana Kester; Kira Kloser, Recreation Facilities Superintendent; and Deb Larson, Recreation Supervisor, worked with the Essenza Architecture team to vet the best plan to meet their budget, schedule, and goals. “Throughout the project, the team demonstrated an unwavering dedication to working within our budget and offering creative and practical designs.” Dana Kester, Facilities & Projects Coordinator, City of Westminster.
Teamwork was the key to the success of this project. The City of Westminster, Essenza Architecture, and Mark Young Construction worked closely to develop solutions during design and construction that were the most cost-effective and produced the best results for the project. The fully redesigned facility offers many new features: weight rooms and cardio areas, a community room, athletic flooring, improved lighting and daylighting, and new finishes with a modern design. All new cardio, free weights, functional training, and selectorized equipment with new rubber athletic flooring provide excellent training spaces.
Old railings were replaced with all new cable railings that provide open views to the pool and other levels, which patrons can enjoy from the cardio fitness floor. Previously, underutilized spaces were redesigned to maximize programming areas and improve circulation. The racquetball courts were replaced with weight areas and include all new finishes, acoustic panels, artificial LEDs, and natural light, creating open and energizing spaces for increased fitness offerings. A second-floor infill provides dedicated meeting space with a kitchenette for on-site meetings, team events, and public rentals. A new training/meeting room with color changing and white lights provides a flexible space for many different event types and offers a unique view that overlooks the pool.
The new design improves access by relocating the lobby to the main level and adding automatic sliding doors to the north and south parking lots. The expanded lobby includes a new front desk and control space adjacent to an open areawith seating for gatherings, card playing, and other activities. A new elevator provides access to all floors, increasing service delivery equity.
“Bringing this facility back to its full potential and creating more program spaces was such a rewarding experience. Working with the Parks and Recreation and facilities staff early on in a master plan exercise allowed us to maximize opportunities, like moving the entry to the main floor, creating open fitness spaces, and adding the second-floor community room. Our teamwork with the City of Westminster and the CMGC team at Mark Young Construction allowed us to tackle problem-solving in a positive way.” Christa Plaza, President Essenza Architecture.
Over the past 3.5 years, a dedicated team of City staff, Essenza Architecture, and Mark Young Construction, along with the community’s support, have transformed the Westminster Swim & Fitness Center into a modern, accessible, and welcoming space. This award is a testament to the vision, dedication, and collaboration of everyone involved in the renovation project, including the local residents who will benefit from this revitalized facility.
The Westminster Swim & Fitness Center has provided residents a dedicated place for swimming, recreation, and community-building. After almost five decades of service, the City undertook a $6 million renovation to improve accessibility, guest and staff safety, programming opportunities, and overall efficiency. A grand re-opening celebration in mid-September welcomed guests to the City of Westminster’s refreshed community center.
The City of Westminster, Construction Projects Specialist Dana Kester; Kira Kloser, Recreation Facilities Superintendent; and Deb Larson, Recreation Supervisor, worked with the Essenza Architecture team to vet the best plan to meet their budget, schedule, and goals. “Throughout the project, the team demonstrated an unwavering dedication to working within our budget and offering creative and practical designs.” Dana Kester, Facilities & Projects Coordinator, City of Westminster.
Teamwork was the key to the success of this project. The City of Westminster, Essenza Architecture, and Mark Young Construction worked closely to develop solutions during design and construction that were the most cost-effective and produced the best results for the project. The fully redesigned facility offers many new features: weight rooms and cardio areas, a community room, athletic flooring, improved lighting and daylighting, and new finishes with a modern design. All new cardio, free weights, functional training, and selectorized equipment with new rubber athletic flooring provide excellent training spaces.
Old railings were replaced with all new cable railings that provide open views to the pool and other levels, which patrons can enjoy from the cardio fitness floor. Previously, underutilized spaces were redesigned to maximize programming areas and improve circulation. The racquetball courts were replaced with weight areas and include all new finishes, acoustic panels, artificial LEDs, and natural light, creating open and energizing spaces for increased fitness offerings. A second-floor infill provides dedicated meeting space with a kitchenette for on-site meetings, team events, and public rentals. A new training/meeting room with color changing and white lights provides a flexible space for many different event types and offers a unique view that overlooks the pool.
The new design improves access by relocating the lobby to the main level and adding automatic sliding doors to the north and south parking lots. The expanded lobby includes a new front desk and control space adjacent to an open areawith seating for gatherings, card playing, and other activities. A new elevator provides access to all floors, increasing service delivery equity.
“Bringing this facility back to its full potential and creating more program spaces was such a rewarding experience. Working with the Parks and Recreation and facilities staff early on in a master plan exercise allowed us to maximize opportunities, like moving the entry to the main floor, creating open fitness spaces, and adding the second-floor community room. Our teamwork with the City of Westminster and the CMGC team at Mark Young Construction allowed us to tackle problem-solving in a positive way.” Christa Plaza, President Essenza Architecture.
- Architect: Essenza Architecture
- Construction: Mark Young Construction
- Landscape Architect: Norris Design
- Civil Engineers: MPD Engineering
- Mechanical and Plumbing Engineers: The Ballard Group
- Electrical Engineers: AE Design Group
- Structural Engineers: Martin|Martin Engineering
- Fitness Equipment: FitLogistix