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'Green' Gym Opens At San Diego Community College

'Green' Gym Opens At San Diego Community College
The San Diego Community College District has completed a makeover of a gym on its downtown campus. The new facility is notable for its use of the latest energy efficient technology.

The San Diego Community College District has completed a makeover of a gym on its downtown campus. The new facility is notable for its use of the latest energy efficient technology.

The $11 million project involved major renovation of the two-story gym which was built in 1964.

The work included interior and exterior demolition, new ceilings and roofing systems, and new waterless and low-flow plumbing fixtures.

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District Architect Lance Lareau said some people thought of the old gym as a dark dungeon, but he said a new exterior wall system has transformed the facility.

"So we were able to take the precast panels, around the exterior of the building, which are very dark and very heavy, remove those and replace those with a very lightweight composite panel which allows light to transfer through," said Lareau.

He said the wall system, called Kalwall, is highly insulating and reduces the need for air conditioning.

Lareau said the exterior wall panels contain 20 percent recycled materials.

The project has won the 2008 Design Visionary Award from the American Institute of Architects.