Advancing its mission to cultivate a better community through a commitment to youth, healthy living, and fostering social responsibility, the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids partnered with Caledonia Community Schools (CCS) to build and jointly operate a new, state-of-the-art recreation facility serving both students and community members in Caledonia, Mich.
With a location adjacent to the school district’s existing education complex, this 4,367 m² (47,000-sf) facility would house a wide range of amenities to promote fitness and community engagement for all ages, including a fitness and wellness area, a kids’ zone, a basketball court, an indoor track, as well as a splash pad and pool.
The school district and YMCA envisioned this facility as a vibrant community hub for recreation, wellness, and community connection, offering special programs for students, families, and seniors to engage in healthy activities together and create lasting memories.
Challenge
The team was tasked with creating an inviting, comfortable, and visually safe environment, as well as designing a space conducive to play and exercise. The project team knew the facility’s interior must deliver abundant access to beneficial natural light.
This required evenly diffusing high-quality daylight throughout the facility—without introducing glare, excess heat, or visual discomfort for guests engaging in high-energy activities. To conserve funds for this facility, which serves as a high-use community resource, the project also called for an energy-efficient lighting solution.
Additionally, the facility design required an inventive, eye-catching aesthetic, intended to promote a playful environment and infuse visitors with community spirit. The exterior further necessitated the use of materials with the versatility to apply unique color options, in order to match customized interior design choices.
The project prioritized incorporating the school district’s signature purple color, which was integrated throughout indoor areas such as the indoor track and bathroom tile.
Solution
To deliver an innovative, playful aesthetic, Stantec and C2AE Architecture created a cantilevered translucent form over the facility’s main entryway.
This nature-inspired prism element, mimicking the refraction created when sunlight strikes water, provides an uplifting daylit environment for guests as the mix of glass and translucent glazing showcases the recreational activities occurring inside.
To maximize occupant comfort and energy conservation, the design team integrated 232 m² (2,500 sf) of Kingspan Light + Air’s polycarbonate wall systems into the building’s envelope. These translucent wall assemblies distribute uniform, diffused natural daylight into the facility while delivering exceptional thermal performance and limiting solar heat gain. The result is a bright, comfortable environment that supports rigorous exercise and community programs, free from visual discomfort and significant temperature fluctuations.
The design team also incorporated glass glazing in select areas to provide views of the outdoors, fostering a connection to the environment. This abundance of high-quality daylight further reduces the facility’s dependence on electric lighting, thereby lowering energy consumption and helping to meet the project’s sustainability goals.
The wall system also offers unique flexibility to apply a wide range of standard and custom glazing colors. For this project, the design team selected a custom purple matte glazing and aluminum finish to align with the school district’s color palette, creating a cohesive visual identity both inside and out.
Results
The Cal Community Center provides students and community members of all ages with an inviting space filled with natural daylight.
The facility is an excellent venue for the community to participate in a variety of recreational and fitness programs and activities. The facility’s diverse amenities, in close proximity to existing educational facilities, serve as a convenient and valuable community resource, with a visually appealing exterior that enhances the local area. The center’s abundant natural daylight supports safety and comfort during rigorous activities while creating a welcoming environment for social interaction.
In a Cal Schools Press release from February 2025, Monique Brennan, CCS community education and outreach coordinator, stated that the Cal Community Center was “more than just a building—it’s a place for all ages to connect, learn, and create lasting memories. For over 30 years, the Caledonia Resource Center has enriched our community, and this new space allows us to expand that mission, providing a true home away from home for seniors, families, and students. Seeing this vision come to life is truly incredible.”
Architects: Stantec and C2AE
General contractor: Rockford Construction
Distributor/installer: Olson Architectural Products / Reliable Sheet Metal, Inc.
Neall Digert, Ph.D., MIES, vice president, innovation and market development, Kingspan Light + Air | North America, has over 30 years of consulting and education experience working in the energy, lighting, daylighting design and research fields, specializing in the design and application of advanced lighting and daylighting systems for commercial building applications.
