Dawson Construction delivered the 99,950 square foot Wade King Recreation Center at Western Washington University, one of the nation's first recreation centers designed to meet LEED Certification. The concrete structure with wood framing sits on a drilled pier support foundation, featuring structural concrete and steel building roof systems.
The facility houses an impressive range of amenities including a three-court gymnasium, an elevated jogging track, multipurpose rooms, weight and fitness spaces, a 40-foot climbing wall, fitness and leisure pools with a vortex and lazy river, a lap pool, a whirlpool, racquetball courts, locker rooms, a wellness center, and administrative office space. A full basement accommodates mechanical rooms, a utility tunnel, and a mechanical penthouse.
The project received widespread recognition for its design and construction excellence, earning the Outstanding Sports Facility Award from the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA), the Excellence in Concrete Construction Grand Award from the Washington Aggregates and Concrete Association, and the Built Projects Citation from the AIA Outstanding Projects. These accolades reflect both the quality of the construction and the successful integration of sustainable design principles that have made the facility a benchmark for campus recreation centers nationwide.
The Wade King Recreation Center has become a centerpiece of campus life at Western Washington University, and one of the projects that best represents what Dawson can do when given the chance to build something complex, sustainable, and built to last.
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The Wade King Recreation Center is a testament to what's possible when a university, architects, and a great contractor work together toward a shared vision. Dawson delivered a facility our campus is proud of.
From emergency repairs to ground-up builds, Dawson teams deliver across Southeast Alaska and Northwest Washington.
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