Aaron Stunson Jr.

Lodge by the Bay Health & Sports Center Project Info

Architecture [BS]

The Lodge by the Bay is a Recreational Complex that is set to be located in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The Lodge is a multi-programmed recreational center that provides fitness & weight training spaces, a natatorium, a gym, racquetball courts, classrooms, a healthy options cafe, rock climbing, and more. The building’s form and orientation are influenced by the existing topography, views, and adjacent park activities. The building has a distinct central roof form that showcases a beautiful sloped sawtooth shape that has its back to the south and glazing facing north which provides the primary and secondary program spaces with lots of natural diffused northern daylight. The Lodge was designed in response to the need for a community recreation center and gathering place that fits with the city's existing plan for future development. It services the entire Sault Ste. Marie community, both Michigan and Canada. With its scale and position within Ashmun Bay, the building will act as a central location within the bay that pulls people in to interact with and enjoy all Ashmun Bay has to offer. The Lodge is a sustainable project designed in compliance with the Living Building Challenge through the implementation of mass timber structural elements and locally sourced materials for enclosure and finishes throughout the building. The Lodge also produces all of its energy and then some for the entire year through its impressive photovoltaic solar panel array which spans the slope of the central roof and the whole of the covered parking lot. The Lodge by the Bay's goal is to provide the Sault Ste. Marie with a space to call their own that not only brings them fitness and recreation but also aligns with their community standard of striving for a sustainable way of living.