Renovation of aging community center in Longview, Texas recognized for maintaining strong links to the long-underserved community.
LPA’s design for the modernization of the Broughton Recreation Center in Longview, Texas was recently honored by Athletic Business as a Facility of Merit, the magazine’s annual award recognizing top athletics, fitness and recreation projects in the country.
The Broughton Recreation Center was one of 10 projects selected by a third-party judging panel for the prestigious honor.
This budget constrained renovation saved the bones and spirit of an important center of community life for Longview's traditionally underserved African-American neighborhood. The redesign of the windowless masonry facility, originally built in 1978 was developed with community engagement at the center of the process. Designers hosted community workshops and “listening sessions” to make sure local voices guided development of the building and the site.
We are very thankful for LPA’s efforts in working with the community to be able to hear their comments and provide a response in this facility.” — Scott Caron, former City of Longview Parks and Recreation Director
The community prioritized a design geared toward young people that preserved cherished elements of the original facility.
LPA brought a multidisciplinary team consisting of architects, interior designers and landscape architects. Working within the city’s budget, the redesign features a glass façade and glazing around the building to open the interiors to natural light. A new entry was added with a community scale, creating views into a branch library that was relocated from the back of the building to a storefront window. The new public spaces celebrate fitness and wellness, putting exercise equipment on display in the common areas. To support the community’s diverse and growing interests, a new e-sports room features gaming consoles, couches and large-screen TVs.
Inspired by the neighboring forest, designers used biophilic principles to create green metal screens on the façade that recreate the sensation of being in the woods and abstract tree graphics to deepen the connection to nature. LPA interior designers drew inspiration from the 19-acre wooded site and the green and blue of the city's logo for the cheerful interior color scheme.
LPA’s landscape architects helped reimagine the site with a promenade and the extension of walking trails that provide access to the center from the street to the park.
“We are very thankful for LPA’s efforts in working with the community to be able to hear their comments and provide a response in this facility,” former City of Longview Parks and Recreation Director Scott Caron said when the project opened.
