University of Colorado Denver Lola & Rob Salazar Student Wellness Center

Promoting holistic wellness through a student-driven facility designed for recreation, health, and community.

Constructed through student funding and designed to support the health and well-being of the campus community, the CU Denver Student Wellness Center is an 85,000-square-foot recreation and wellness facility located at the intersection of Speer Boulevard and Auraria Parkway. The state-of-the-art building serves as a central destination for fitness, recreation, relaxation, and personal wellness, reflecting a commitment to inclusiveness and student-centered design.

Developed with direct input from students, the facility offers a comprehensive range of amenities designed to meet diverse recreational and wellness needs. Features include a six-lane lap pool and spa, three full-size gymnasium courts, weight training and fitness areas, a 38-foot climbing wall and bouldering wall, group fitness studios, study spaces, relaxation areas, a student kitchen, outdoor adventure services with equipment rental, and a bicycle maintenance and repair shop. Together, these spaces create a holistic environment that supports both physical and mental well-being.

Constructing the facility in the heart of downtown Denver required extensive logistical planning and coordination. Site preparation began two months before the official groundbreaking to accommodate major utility relocations, including a 20-inch gas line, a 36-inch water line, and an 8-inch water line. Successfully rerouting these critical services required close collaboration with the City and County of Denver, careful traffic management, and coordinated street closures through one of the city’s busiest intersections.

The project also served as an educational resource for the university community throughout construction. Saunders hosted multiple site tours for engineering students, providing real-world insights that supported classroom learning and case studies. The team also employed a CU Denver graduate student intern, further strengthening the connection between the project and the university’s educational mission.

The result is a vibrant wellness destination that enriches campus life, encourages healthy lifestyles, and provides students with a welcoming space to exercise, learn, connect, and recharge.

This project received multiple industry awards, including:

• 2019 Merit Award for Sports/Entertainment from Engineering News-Record (ENR) Mountain States.
• LEED Gold Certification, 2019