University of Colorado Denver Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center

CU Denver built this 85,000-square-foot student-funded facility on the Auraria Campus to support students' health and wellness.

Saunders completed the construction of the Student Wellness Center in May 2018. The 85,000-square-foot facility is located at the intersection of Speer Boulevard and Auraria Parkway on the Auraria Campus. The state-of-the-art building fills the daily leisure needs of each student, with a focus on inclusiveness and holistic wellness. The building is a full-service campus recreation and wellness facility that includes amenities chosen by the students. Amenities include:

• Six-lane lap pool and spa
• Three full-size gym courts
• Weight training and fitness areas
• 38-foot-tall climbing wall and bouldering wall
• Group fitness studios
• Multiple study areas and nooks for relaxation
• A student kitchen
• Outdoor adventure services with gear rental
• Bicycle maintenance and repair shop

Building in the heart of downtown Denver is challenging, with logistical planning and flexibility at the forefront of success. The first challenge came quickly, with Saunders starting the project two months before the groundbreaking to prepare the site for construction. A 20-inch gas line, 36-inch water line, and an 8-inch water line needed to be routed around the site. This was a two-month process requiring precise coordination with the City and County of Denver for street closures and traffic control through a core intersection of downtown Denver.

In many ways, the project was used to offer a learning experience for current programs at CU Denver. Multiple tours were conducted for engineering classes. Students acquired information to apply to classroom case studies, and Saunders was fortunate enough to employ a CU Denver graduate student intern.

The project won the 2019 Merit Award, Sports/Entertainment from Engineering News-Record Mountain States.