Redesign Your School Athletic Pavilion | 2014 National High School Architecture Competition #199
|High Tech’s APA, the student body’s gym, is in need of updating in equipment, atmosphere, and overall look. We need an athletic pavilion that students will enjoy going to two times a week for gym class. The atmosphere of the APA now is cramped and dark; this is not an environment that would necessarily inspire students to get up and exercise. There are no windows for students to open for some fresh air while they are working out. The space is so small that teachers can barely fit a full class in at a time. The APA needs air, light, and a brand new look.
I am a member of the newly added New York Sports Club in my hometown, Bayonne, New Jersey (around 30 minutes from High Tech). The gym has been around for almost 4 years now, but still looks very new. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the building was all the windows it has that allow a lot of natural light in. Another thing I noticed was how much space it obtained. This gym has inspired me to create a pavilion with the same amount of open atmosphere and natural light. Students are constantly being pushed to work out and I feel that this update will motivate them to get up and exercise. Not only would I like to add the given weights and machines, but also I would like to add a pool. In addition, I would add an open second floor where students can have more space for work out equipment. I’d also add a room where gym classes will be instructed such as yoga or Zumba.
A problem that we have in our school is that some students chose to skip gym because they aren’t up to walking out of the school, across the parking lot, across a street, and across another parking lot just to get to gym class, especially when it’s raining or in the winter when it’s cold. I propose that the new gym is right across the street from our school entrance. Students will not be bothered with the fact that they just have to cross a street. The school culture will be affected in the sense that students will be more prone to go to gym class and even stay after school for a good work out. Not only will we have every student attend gym, but they’ll actually enjoy exercising in the new athletic pavilion at High Tech High School.
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