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10/1/2009

Rice community celebrates opening of state-of-the-art rec center
Two pools, four basketball courts, cardio workout room and indoor soccer arena are among the features

BY JESSICA STARK
Rice News staff

Rice University celebrated the opening of the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center Sept. 25.

	Barbara and David Gibbs are pictured at the opening of the new recreation center named in their honor. PHOTO GALLERY

The two-story, 103,000-square-foot rec center features a 2,400-square-foot recreation pool bedecked with a row of palm trees, a 50-meter competition pool, two indoor and two outdoor basketball courts, an indoor soccer and hockey arena, four racquetball courts, two squash courts, a 9,000-square-foot weight and cardio workout room and four multipurpose rooms for group fitness and dance classes.

"When you come to Rice and you are around these students for more than four minutes, you realize it's contagious," said Rice Athletics Director Chris Del Conte. "They're great, great young people who will go on to do great things. ... And today we are matching their ability in the classroom ... with a building that will give them the ability to engage in every fitness activity they want."

"It is a fabulous addition to our campus in every sense," said Rice University President David Leebron. "It will help us reinforce our sense of community as we bring students, faculty and staff together. It will enable all members of our community to stay physically fit while they pursue their intellectual endeavors."

The new rec center is part of a major construction initiative at Rice as the university increases its student body and raises its international profile under Leebron's 10-point Vision for the Second Century.

Growing campus diversity BY JENNIFER EVANS Rice News staff This fall the university welcomed new residents to campus as part of a population that continues to grow in diversity. While they're not true Texans, they are well-adapted to Houston and expected to flourish as they set down roots. However, they'll only be found standing around the pool at the new Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center.   The newcomers -- 15 Florida sabal palms -- might seem out of place on a campus known for its mighty oaks, but "there actually are some types of palms that are native to Texas," said Richard Johnson, co-chair of the Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum committee, which worked with the recreation center project team to research and identify the right species of palm to plant.   The Texas sabal is the truly native palm to the state, but the Florida palm was the better choice for the rec center, said Ron Smith, grounds superintendent for Facilities, Engineering and Planning. "They're cold-hardy, fast-growing, best-adapted for Houston, their size is applicable for where they're planted and maintenance shouldn't be too great." This is the second group of palms added to the campus landscape in the past year. In the spring, the Audrey Moody Ley Plaza in front of Reckling Park became home to a grove of Mexican palms. The addition of these trees supports the arboretum committee's goal of expanding the diversity of the campus tree population, which now numbers more than 4,000. It also fulfills a goal of President David Leebron, who has been working to bring palms to Rice since his arrival in 2004. “At long last, I have my palm trees on our campus,” he said. “Rice is a warm weather university, and nothing says that better than palm trees by an outdoor pool.” Indeed, they make complete the recreation center's inviting oasis among the oaks.   "If any building looked like it should be wearing sunglasses, it's the rec center," Johnson said. "We gave it its palm trees and pool. Now all it needs is a glass of iced tea."

"A hundred years from now we're going to look back at this board of trustees and this president and say, 'Look what they've done. Look what they did to secure the future of Rice,'" Del Conte said. "It starts with the two new (residential) colleges, the physics building, Tudor Fieldhouse, this beautiful recreation center and the BRC (BioScience Research Collaborative). These things are enriching this institution, and I am so happy to be a small part of that."

Just 17 months after breaking ground, hundreds of Rice students, faculty and staff came to the grand opening to celebrate and thank those who made the rec center possible. The center is named in honor of Rice alums David '71 and Barbara '73 Gibbs, who made the lead gift for the $41 million facility.

"Rice University and its gym were defining influences in my life," recalled David Gibbs. "Whenever I would get in a funk or a solution to a problem failed to present itself, I headed to the gym and, after a good workout, I was ready to get back to my studies with the juices flowing. This has worked out over my entire life. I'm a believer in lifelong fitness."

Another believer, Student Association President Patrick McAnaney raced to be the first person to use the new weight room.

"This is the most anticipated day during my time at Rice," McAnaney said. With the replacement of Rice's outdated, 1950s-era rec center with the new Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center, Rice is now "perfect," he said.

Graduate Student Association President Kristjan Stone said the new facility will help to bring graduate students out of their labs and create a stronger sense of community among them.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for all graduate students," he said.

The new recreation center also features two state-of-the-art classrooms and a personal training and fitness-assessment center. An added outdoor-adventure center allows members to rent outdoor equipment and plan white-water rafting, camping and rock climbing trips.

Located at the northwest corner of Alumni Drive and Laboratory Road, the building is constructed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. Translucent insulated wall panels allow exterior light to enter the structure's interior, which will reduce the building's electrical energy consumption.

F&S Partners, Inc., served as executive architect, Lake/Flato Architects, Inc., served as design architect and the Office of James Barnett served as landscape architect.

Memberships to the new facility are currently available for Rice students, faculty, staff, retirees, Rice trustees and their spouses and domestic partners. For more information, visit http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~ricerec/.