Wellness + Helfaer Recreation at Marquette University

Project Description:

Marquette’s Wellness + Helfaer Recreation building was designed to support holistic health and wellness services (physical, mental, emotional) to students by combining campus recreation, the medical clinic, the counseling center and health promotion all in one building. This embraces and reflects the Ignation value of “Cura Personalis” – “Care of the Whole Person” — a core tenant of Jesuit education and MU’s philosophy. This building provides an inclusive and accessible hub on campus to promote all aspects of wellbeing. After evaluating multiple campus locations, a strategic decision was made to maintain and repurpose the existing Helfaer Recreation Center’s tennis and basketball volumes as foundational elements of the new facility. Rather than demolishing and rebuilding, the design preserves and celebrates the original structures, inserting a central five-story addition between them to unify the composition while introducing new program space. Visitors arrive through a welcoming, light-filled lobby that establishes immediate visual connections to both the campus beyond and the diverse activities within. High-energy recreation spaces occupy the lower floors, transitioning progressively to quieter wellness and counseling environments above. Within the reimagined facility, students have access to basketball courts, tennis courts, multi-activity courts, group fitness studios, an elevated jogging track, expansive open fitness areas, and a six-lane, 25-yard natatorium. The venue provides comprehensive healthcare services for all students, along with dedicated counseling suites, group meeting rooms, a restorative “Zen Den,” and access to an outdoor terrace.