The Special Events and Recreation Center at SUNY Brockport or “SERC” is a 160,000 square foot multi-purpose facility, which includes a 90,000square foot “House of Fields”. The House of Fields was designed to host a variety of events ranging from concerts and commencement ceremonies to NCAA track and field events. Prior to the addition of SERC, the Tuttle Physical Education Facility suffered from a lack of identity and was difficult to navigate.

The location of SERC was chosen to optimize the efficiency and utilization of the existing building. The House of Fields is a large rectangular volume that attaches to the larger rectangular volume of Tuttle, which is made up of a series of cubes. The remaining program between the House of Fields and the existing Tuttle Complex is more visually malleable and acts as a connecter, or “Glue”. These spaces mediate between existing and new and serve as the entry and lobby to the entire complex. Providing additional Physical Education space directly adjacent to the existing facilities reinforces the Tuttle Complex as the hub of all Physical Education activities on campus.

SERC also includes a 200-meter track with lanes wide enough to accommodate disabled athletes and has the ability to be subdivided into 3 large field areas for multiple and concurrent athletic, physical education and recreation functions. The state-of-the-art Fitness/Wellness components are comprised of cardiovascular training, free weights and strength circuit training areas along with multipurpose exercise rooms.  The exterior of the facility boasts curvilinear glass on the northern façade and a glass southern façade to maximize the use of natural light. Its three-story open lobby space visually connects all levels and organizes the program, aiding in way finding throughout the large facility.

This project achieved LEED Gold status by way of many sustainable strategies.  In addition to the vast expanse of glazing that capitalizes on the daylight, an innovative underground cooling system was employed. This system supplies chilled glycol to the cooling coils during off-peak hours, which is then used by the air-handling units during peak hours to cool the space and results in significant energy savings.