Garet Dunivin UREC 04/06

The part of campus I chose to capture was JMU's Recreation Center "UREC". I chose this site because I invest a great deal of time here. It is not only good for my body but mind also. I get the exercise I need here to help me get through my daily activities physically and mentally. The building itself is fantastic. The building is a overpowering structure at a scale of 140,700 square feet. The architecture consists of massive windows and a stone basing. The large quantity of windows allows for lots of sunshine and a more pleasant UREC experience. I think the majority of students that spend time at UREC do exercise. Some students run, lift weights, or participate in aerobics classes. There are plenty of different activities that provide a healthy outlet for any suitor. I think designers of this building intended for it to be used by students needing a proper facility to exercise their bodies and eliminate stress. The facility is top of the line "NIRSA" (National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association) named UREC an Outstanding Sports Facility in 2000. My only problem with UREC is its size with ratio to students. The JMU population continues to grow. Each year UREC has become increasingly more crowded. The weight room in particular. It is almost impossible to get a effective workout during prime hours(4pm-9pm). It's a minor problem but in the future this will have to be addressed. Environmentally UREC is commendable in 2009 as part of JMU’s commitment to environmental stewardship, 10 of UREC's PreCors were equipped with a device to produce renewable energy in the form of electrical energy from your motion energy. The actual exercise from our JMU students is helping to generate energy. UREC will have and has had a profound effect on my JMU experience. I enjoy my time their I know that it is good for my body making me a stronger person. It also helps me eliminate the daily stress of my everyday life. I personally think JMU has excellent architecture. The buildings are very symmetrical and pleasant to look upon. There was obviously a lot of planning and effort into our campus given the strict regiment of design. The quad area is a older side to our campus showing it's history and roots. East campus is more modern, but still holds a strict building plan and fantastic architecture.