The Beacon Recreation Center
Arlington, Texas
Montrose Community Recreation Center + Field House
Montrose, Colorado
BASE Community Center
Big Sky, Montana
The REC of Grapevine
Grapevine, Texas
The Link Event & Recreation Center
Richland Hills, Texas
The Link creates a new town center and reinvigorated identity for the City of Richland Hills. Designed as a central gathering place for citizens, this new core area links residents to municipal facilities and promotes connectivity within the city.
LocationRichland Hills, Texas
ClientCity of Richland Hills
TypeRecreation
CategoryMultigenerational, Planning + Studies
Square Footage26,000
Completion2017
Many outdoor amenities link the rec center with the plaza and civic campus
Site concept makes a gathering place where there wasn't one
Every inch of space
A swiss army center with multiuse spaces, it maximizes it's footprint for participation of all ages. The facility includes community rooms, kitchen, arts and crafts rooms, museum displays, child watch, games area, gymnasium, walk/jog track, multiuse fitness, free weights, cardio training, locker rooms and support areas.
Exploded 3-D axonometric diagram shows the relationship of the spaces
A game nook was carved out of the space in the hallway
Adventure Course
Extra space between the gym and the fitness area was put to use for an adventure course with a climbing wall, rope wall and monkey bars.
Flexible Event Space
The main hallway has many surprises including an operable wall with images of the nearby park that opens up for larger events.
Child Watch
The entrance to the kids area was inspired by "Birdville"
In 2014, the City of Richland Hills hired the Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture team, including Ballard*King for Operations/Business Planning and ETC Leisure Vision for a citizen survey, to perform a feasibility study for a new Event + Recreation Center to meet the needs of their growing community.
The team examined the demographic characteristics and market in the Richland Hills area and a series of needs assessment tasks were completed. In addition, stakeholder meetings with a variety of age groups and city staff were held to gain insight into the needs of the community. A statistically valid survey was also conducted. Funding of the facility was approved by voters in the November 2015 bond election.
At night a lantern along Baker Boulevard attracts users, residents, future citizens and businesses to the facility and municipal campus. The LINK has become the community’s living room and is destined to be the place in Richland Hills to meet, socialize, learn new things, exercise, play and be a community. Along with the outdoor Festival Plaza, the living room spills out to the community’s back yard for water play, events, concerts and food trucks.
