Campus Rec entertains building lazy river

Potential renovations to UNC’s recreation facilities might be making a splash on campus in 2015.

Campus Recreation is partnering with 360 Architecture to get input regarding the changes students would like to see in indoor and outdoor facilities.

Campus Recreation staff created a survey to gather feedback from a random sample of UNC students. The survey’s suggestions for change range from more cardiovascular equipment to a lazy river and water slides.

“This is kind of a one-time, maybe once every 10 years, type of thing,” said director of Campus Recreation Bill Goa.

Additional methods to compile feedback included focus groups and Campus Recreation open houses.

Goa said the purpose of the assessments is to ensure that the facilities are meeting the needs of students and staff.

“We thought we’d get a baseline of what we have and then recommendations and a five- or 10-year roadmap to determine what the facilities need to start programming,” he said.

Goa said Campus Recreation will receive recommendations from the results of the survey after Jan. 1.

A course of action and a budget will be determined based on feedback from students and from 360 Architecture, Goa said.

“We definitely need more cardiovascular equipment, multipurpose space for aerobics classes and different things like that,” he said.

Chelsea Rush, Campus Recreation marketing and special events coordinator, said there might be room to expand on the role and image of Campus Recreation.

“I think it can be a huge social space on campus,” she said.“You’re going to be much more likely to continue living a more fit and healthy lifestyle when you’re also incorporating more leisure-based and social-based things into that.”

Rush said she does not think Campus Recreation currently has a place for students who are not solely coming to lift weights or have an intense workout.

“I think we just generally need more space that’s more welcoming and allows people to come and just play,” she said.

“If on the survey, one of the results is people are really, really interested in having a water park or in having a bowling alley, that’s something we’ll move forward with assessing the feasibility of doing in the design.”

Sarah Koucheki, a sophomore and member of the swim team, said the incorporation of a leisure pool at the Student Recreation Center might influence her to start going to different gyms on campus.

“Since I’m an athlete, I use the Loudermilk facilities,” she said.

“I haven’t really felt a need to go to the SRC, but if there was a pool with slides or a fun area like that, I would definitely be more inclined.”

The goal of the renovation project is to provide UNC with the indoor and outdoor facilities that meet the needs and desires of students, Goa said.

“Being a top-five public institution, that’s the type of facility our students definitely deserve and want, as we’re finding out,” he said.

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