Fitness for People the World Needs Most

Fitness for People the World Needs Most

By Anne B. McDonnell
April 2004

	Gonzaga University created a new fitness center with a unique blend of old and new structures.

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY RUDOLF FITNESS CENTER

Spokane, Wash.; 509 323-4200; www.gonzaga.edu

Gonzaga University, with its tradition of service-oriented education, is committed to "educating people the world needs most," says Joan Hatfield, director of the Kermit M. Rudolf Fitness Center. "The new on-campus fitness facility helps achieve that goal by developing the health and fitness of Gonzaga's students, faculty and staff," she says.

The 38,000-square-foot facility opened in March 2003, under the direction of the Athletic Department. The fitness center is located in the Martin Center, which also houses the Kennel, the basketball arena for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. (A new 6,000-seat arena is currently under construction, and will be attached to the Martin Center.)

The fitness center is an architectural blend of existing and new facilities, Hatfield explains. The 18,420-square-foot field house, previously a separate building, the 25-yard lap pool and the 2,400-square-foot locker room area were joined by an arched atrium with skylights. Walls of windows looking into the field house and pool now line the atrium, which also offers a lounge area with couches, tables and a juice bar.

The field house includes three basketball courts, an indoor running track and four racquetball courts. At the time of construction, two racquetball courts were converted into a 2,400-square-foot fitness studio, a 500-square-foot fitness studio and an intramural office. The field house is used for pick-up basketball games, intramural sports, some PE classes, and summer basketball and volleyball camps. As for the pool, in addition to lap swimming, it is used for water aerobics, water polo games and scuba diving classes.

Another new addition to the building is the 9,000-square-foot, two-level cardio and weight area, complete with a view of Lake Arthur, the Spokane River and the Spokane skyline. "The Gonzaga community enjoys the array of equipment, TVs and sound system, which are similar to those at high-quality, private fitness centers," says Hatfield. A bright red and blue color scheme reflects Gonzaga's school colors.

Four full-time staff members with master's degrees offer fitness assessments, nutritional counseling, personal training, health/fitness-related workshops, email fitness tips, and classes such as step, yoga, boot camp and stability ball conditioning classes. Says Hatfield, "The facility design, staffing and operations were carefully planned to meet the highest industry standards for facility supervision and safety. Remote cameras are located in all activity areas of the fitness center complex, and staff can monitor the entire facility from the front desk or the control desk located in the fitness area. We have an AED on the premises, and all full-time staff are trained to use it."

Membership to the fitness center is required for all undergraduate students, who each pay a $75 fee per semester. Graduate and law school students join on a voluntary basis, and pay a higher fee per semester. Faculty and staff are given complimentary memberships as part of their benefits package, and spouses of students, faculty and staff may join for a fee.

Gonzaga University created a new fitness center with a unique blend of old and new structures. The achieved goal is to offer fitness to "people the world needs most."

Facility Stats

• Date facility opened: March 2003
• Fitness facility size: 38,000 square feet
• Number of members: About 3,500 undergraduates, plus graduate and law students; faculty and staff receive complimentary memberships
• Strength equipment: Life Fitness and Hammer Strength machines; free weights
• Cardio equipment: Treadmills, stair steppers, elliptical trainers, cycles, rowing machine, arm ergometer