Colorado Time - Case Study |
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University of Missouri Student Recreation CenterIn 1996, Director of Recreation Services and Facilities for the University of Missouri-Columbia, Diane Dahlmann, had to make a big decision. There were complaints from students about the University student recreation center. "There wasn't enough fitness space. People had to wait in line 45 minutes to take a class. The place wasn't air conditioned. The locker rooms were old and scary. Something had to be done," said Dahlmann. A referendum was created and voted on which provided students with a new, one-of-a-kind campus recreation center. The cost? A $75-per-semester increase in student fees. Since the original recreation building was built in 1905, then added on to in 1964 and 1989, the new recreation building would need to be developed from scratch. The new recreation center broke ground in 2003 and opened in July of 2005. Dahlmann hired the firm Hastings & Chivetta Architects of St. Louis to design the building. Colorado Time Systems (CTS) were hired for the timing and display equipment. The Aquatic Center portion of the Recreation Center includes a competitive pool and a leisure pool complex, comprising Tiger Grotto (indoor) and Mizzou Beach Club / Truman's Pond (outdoor). The University ordered a complete timing system for the competitive pool, including:
Two more full-color video boards, both 18 mm 112 x 208 pixel, were installed in the leisure pool area, one indoor and one outdoor. "We use these video boards as part of ZouTV, our in-house broadcast station," Associate Director of MU Recreation Services, Dan Shipp said. "At Homecoming, we broadcast 'Animal House,' and on Halloween we showed 'Creature From the Black Lagoon.' We also regularly feature music videos and local advertising on our station." Shipp explains that they shopped around when it came time to order equipment. "But it was a no-brainer," he said. "CTS is the BMW/Mercedes of timing equipment companies. They're unparalleled and great to work with. Rick Connell was helpful and Bruce Gregg was supportive." "Coaches are very particular about timing equipment," said Shipp. "If your facility doesn't have the best equipment, if you go with an inferior product, it hampers the bidding process when it comes to hosting meets." CTS Project Manager Bruce Gregg agrees that Mizzou has the premier recreational facility in the U.S. "The installation itself went well, and Diane and Dan were wonderful to work with," Gregg said. "They were professional and very excited about their project. That makes my job that much easier." The response to the recreation center and pool has been superlative, including a nod from Sports Illustrated. In the September 2005 issue, Sports Illustrated on Campus named the Mizzou Student Recreation Complex the number one college recreation facility in the country. Shipp said, "Over the summer, parents came in for summer orientation with their incoming freshmen kids, and we had an overwhelming response. The parents were surprised that such a thing exists on a college campus. They were even more surprised at the low student-fee increase for such an extensive upgrade in services." The architects and CTS worked closely with Dahlmann and Shipp to turn their dreams into reality. "We had a vivid picture in our imagination," Dahlmann stated. "And the end result is literally like watching our dreams come true." When you are ready to design your University recreation center, contact the experts at Colorado Time Systems, www.coloradotime.com or 970-667-1000. |
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