A dream of Fort Lewis College administrators since 1998, this new Health & Sciences focused building now houses the campus’s public health and health and human performance departments and quadruples the amount of lab space and health sciences classrooms previously available for students. Schlessman Family Hall’s addition to the existing Whalen Gymnasium required structurally challenging demolition with underpinning and careful excavation to not undermine the existing gym which remained occupied throughout the entire project. On the 1^st floor the new hall added brand-new locker-room space catering to basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, golf and track & field. New classrooms on the 2nd floor feature an adaptive exercise lab, micro-biology wet lab, high-altitude chamber, nutrition lab, new study spaces and faculty offices. Sensors in the adaptive exercise lab measure stride length and how the feet of an athlete land. The main lobby, a new gathering intersection between athletes, students, faculty and the community houses a coffee shop and seating areas. The foundation system was stem walls on footers, spot footings and pilasters with a structural steel, masonry and metal stud with cold-formed metal framing. The roof also contained PV panels to meet sustainability goals.

• Challenging Structural Demolition & Underpinning
• Built Next to Occupied Gymnasium on Campus
• State-of-the-art Health & Sciences Classrooms