It seems only fitting that the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center was named after the oldest and longest-serving U.S. senator in history. Senator Thurmond dedicated his life to serving others and to fitness. Built by the University of South Carolina, the fitness center is located at the intersection of Blossom and Assembly Streets in Columbia, the fourth most active intersection in South Carolina and not far from the state capitol.
The project began in the early '90's according to Jerry Brewer, Director of Student Life at USC. At that time the university began an assessment of the existing recreational facilities on campus. What they quickly realized was that there were no peer or aspirational facilities dedicated specifically to wellness and fitness. The study also revealed that the university's main athletic facility, the Blatt Building, which was created in the late '60's and early 70's was designed for shared recreational sports and activities. Research showed that prior to 1980 most facilities were designed for male dominated activities. Today, individual fitness for both genders is the focus.
Knowing that the facility would be a valuable tool in student recruitment, The University wanted an aesthetically pleasing building and one that offered both a fitness and a social component to students.
The next step was to set the project goals and to develop a team to facilitate the process. At that point, The Boudreaux Group, a Columbia based commercial architecture firm was hired. Led by architect Scott Garvin, a team of over 30 people which included Terry Buchmann, Randy Huth, Kim Bendillo, Chuck Hulstrand and other staff of The Boudreaux Group worked with consultants including David Body and his associates with Cannon Design of Los Angeles, CA, a fitness and pool consultant, along with Kevin Belka and Cliff Stringfield of Belka Engineering Associates of Columbia, David Jordan of The Schneider Company and the Fitness Center staff led by director Herbert Camp.
Once the team was selected, the assessment process continued. The team collected information about 52 different fitness centers in the US and visited two dozen of those sites. Next, they completed intensive case studies on ten of those facilities, looking at schematic drawings and cost figures.
Once the research was complete the design and construction process began in September of 2000. After an eight-year process, the building opened on March 1, 2003. Today, the center is dedicated to student access to fitness and wellness on a daily basis.
