Recreation and Athletic Center by Specht Novak Architects

St. Edward’s University initially planned to demolish their Recreation and Athletic Center and construct a completely new facility. We proposed a budget-conscious and environmentally sustainable strategy to repurpose and expand the existing building and turn it into a new landmark of health and wellness.

Title:: Recreation and Athletic Center
Architect:: Specht Novak Architects
Category:: Community/Sports and Recreation
Building style:: Modern
Photographers:: Andrea Calo

By reclaiming a parking lot, the addition connects the existing building to the main campus green. This new “active facade” of the center includes and outdoor performance space with stepped seating and a beacon-like studio on the second floor. The glass-enclosed cube creates a connection between the new facility and the heart of the campus.

This project employed a highly sustainable strategy to re-use as much of the existing building and source new materials both locally and sustainably. The new addition improved functionality and quality for the students while maintaining accordance with Greenguard, EnergyStar, the Forest Stewardship Council, and other relevant groups.

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Specht Novak ArchitectsArchitectsAustin, Texas

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Specht Novak Architects. Specht Novak Architects is an award-winning Austin, Texas architecture and interior design firm founded on the vision of creating elegant, comfortable, and timeless buildings that are rooted in their environments and shaped by the character of the people who inhabit them. Led by founding partner Scott Specht and partner Jakeb Novak, the practice draws on three decades of experience across high-end residential, commercial, and hospitality design. The firm has earned a reputation for rigorous craftsmanship and deep technical skill, with specialized expertise in cast-in-place concrete architecture and private walled compounds. Specht Novak Architects’ work has been featured in over 350 publications worldwide, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Architectural Digest, and Forbes. The firm has received more than 70 honors from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) at the local and national levels, the Texas Society of Architects, Architizer (which named the firm among the "100 Best Architecture and Design Firms in the United States"), and Architectural Record, including the selection of the Preston Hollow Residence as a Record House.