Discover Design Overview – Athletic Pavilion

I propose the renovation of the first floor gym within Brooklyn Technical High School, in the spirit of providing a facility that encourages the reduction of obesity. To achieve the greatest amount of success, a few obstacles must be overcome.
While the gym currently has its assets, such as its vast amount of space, it is not a perfect environment in which one can get in shape. In the summer, the gym is extremely hot and in the winter, the gym is extremely cold. Therefore, I propose an HVAC system that adjusts to the temperature in the gym. This system would be fixed along the ceiling of the gym, so as to avoid interference with physical activity. In addition since the HAVC shuts off when the desired temperature is achieved, this saves money and is cost efficient, something that appeals to the small budgets schools have been receiving.
Another conundrum is related to locker room. In a school with over 5,000 students the 3rd floor locker rooms have the heaviest traffic. There is hardly any space to maneuver throughout the room and hardly enough room to change comfortably. In the back of the locker room, there are showers that are no longer in use. I suggest the removal of these shower stalls and the addition of more lockers into that existing space. This should promote less restricted travel and more room to change into gym gear comfortably.
What is a gym without the proper equipment? The basketball hoops in our gym have severely exceeded the time for replacement. The same can be said of the volleyball nets and soccer goals. Since the required height of basketball nets is 10’ high, it would not interfere with most physical forms of activity, therefore instead of keeping the mobile basketball hoops, I suggest the investment in fixed hoops that are attached to the wall. As for the volleyball nets and soccer goals it would be in the best interest to purchase new mobile nets and goals respectively and keep them in the storage closet until its use is required. It would also do well to expand the storage facility to suit the variety of uses of the athletic pavilion.
An important part of physical activity is hydration. Since permission is required to leave class, often students have to wait to obtain water and must leave the facility to acquire this essential resource. All that can be avoided if water fountains were installed into our gym. Not only would students have easy access to water, they would also be encouraged to drink more of the healthy, 0 calorie beverage. In America, a major cause of obesity and, more commonly, diabetes are the sugary drinks such as soda and even fruit juices that children and many adults cannot get enough of. What better way to ward off obesity than with the free access to water, a component essential to improving and sustaining our health!
The changes I have in mind are somewhat minor because I wanted to maintain the openness that the vast gym already offers. After all, no one wants to exercise in a cramped, claustrophobic environment. An open environment on the other hand, allows opportunity for a greater number of physical activities. In this way, a student will not be deterred from exercising because they do not like the sport or activity being offered. The renovated athletic pavilion I have in mind caters to the wishes of all students so that no one is left behind in our battle against the lethal obesity that is ever so prevalent in America today.