SRC staff members Soumya Maddukuri (left) and Niharika Chinchalpet welcome
an SRC member to the newly-renovated space.

Recreation Renovations
Swinney Recreation Center gets a new look

Their workouts might be routine, but students and faculty will discover something out of the ordinary next time they visit Swinney Recreation Center. A new poolside steam room and sauna, locker rooms and service center will greet them on their next workout sessions.

These changes were part of a renovation project that began on Jan. 23 and ended July 28. Built in 1941 and last renovated in 1988, Swinney was ready for renovations, said Marsha Pirtle, director of recreational services and facilities.

One of the project's main goals was to replace the center's HVAC air-handling and water pipe systems, Pirtle said. The center had not updated these systems for 20 years and humidity from the locker rooms' saunas and steam rooms had decayed these systems, Pirtle said. The center completely replaced the plumbing and decided to build a co-ed sauna and steam room by the pool. That way, all the humidity is kept in one area.

Before the renovation, Swinney featured two locker rooms -- a men's locker room and a women's locker room. Each locker room was dark, humid and featured communal showers. Thanks to the renovation, these locker rooms were demolished and replaced with four new locker rooms -- men's and women's student locker rooms and men's and women's faculty, staff and community locker rooms. The new locker rooms feature private showers, new ceramic tile and frosted windows that reflect natural light.

Pirtle said she hopes these renovations will attract more visitors to Swinney.

"So far, everyone has been really positive," Pirtle said of people's reactions to the renovations. "They love the brightness and the extra space."