Come on In…The Water’s Fine!

If you’ve driven along Flora View in Colliers Hill lately you’ve seen the new rec center, The Ascent. It’s the second amenity center in the master-planned community and while there were one or two delays before the grand opening, residents tell us, it’s been worth the wait! Recently, John Guilliams, Partner, Architect and Director of Design for KGA – who helped design the new community facility – talked with us about designing The Ascent.

“The site that we had to work with was a bit more unique than the original clubhouse,” said Guilliams. The developer’s vision was to position the building so that the Front Range peaks were in view, he said. “We wanted to echo and give a nod to some of The Overlook’s architectural features,” Guilliams said, even though the two buildings have differences and distinctives.

The Ascent was planned with a couple of distinguishing program requirements, Guilliams noted. “In the original clubhouse, residents felt like they outgrew the fitness area,” he said. “So, we concentrated on making this area the cardio fitness center, whereas the Overlook gym would be used primarily for weights and strength training.” The Overlook and The Ascent resemble and complement one another and that’s intentional, said Guilliams. “The buildings are far enough apart that the new center is recognizably playing off of the original, but it has some of its own qualities that makes unique.”
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