Design Guide: Recreation Centers Planning Considerations January 1976
activities should be housed in separate spaces.
viewing, billiards, and pingpong. All these
activities may occur daily with varying group
e. ACTIVITIES. The activities that take place
sizes. Small group activities of a non-recrea-
within Recreation Centers can be classified as
tional nature may include meetings, small
belonging to one of five major categories:
classes, discussion groups, etc. and usually
administrative, large group, small group, re-
occur during the duty day.
freshment, and transition. These activity
(4) Refreshment Activities. These activities
classifications can be described in terms of
occur in all Centers but their nature varies
function, number of participants, and fre-
according to size and location of the facility.
quency and duration of occurrence. Since
These activities are normally under the control
changes in the using population will affect a
of Army and Air Force Exchange Services
Center's recreation programs, each Center
(AAFES). In smaller Centers, these Exchange
should be flexibly planned so that different
activities consist only of vending services; in
activities may be included if the local programs
larger Centers, food is prepared and served as
change.
well as consumed. Other refreshment activities
(1) Administrative Activities. These activ-
provided by Recreation Center staff occur
ities consist primarily of control (the distribu-
during dances, festivals, and unit parties. Also,
tion of equipment, dissemination of informa-
refreshments may be served during meetings
tion, and security); administration (paper work,
and special interest programs.
consultation, and planning); ITT, (consultation,
(5) Transition
Activities. These involve
travel arrangements, paper work, and distribu-
entering, circulating through, and leaving the
tion of tickets); and in large Recreation
Center. Although these activities are individ-
Centers, special interest (planning, consultation,
ually generated and occur spontaneously, they
and paper work). Administrative activities
are extremely important in planning and
occur daily during the total period of operation
designing the Center to achieve its maximum
and involve 2-5 people, usually only the staff,
effectiveness. To increase patrons' participation
either full-time, part-time, or volunteers.
in and awareness of the Center's many
(2) Large Group Activities. These recrea-
activities, the patron should be able to observe,
tional activities may include informal presenta-
interact with participants, and become inter-
tions, dances, films, important TV events,
ested and involved in these activities while
bingo, exhibitions, etc. `These are planned
moving through the Center. The transitional
events with organized control with a group size
activities serve to integrate the other activities
varying from 200 to 500 people. There may be
with circulation into a unified program.
as few as one event per week or as many as one
f. HOURS OF OPERATION. Hours of opera-
or two per night. Large group activities of a
tion are normally when the majority of troops
non-recreational nature may include blood-
are off-duty, such as week nights, weekends,
mobiles, briefings, seminars, commander's calls,
and holidays. This, however, will vary according
and the like. These activities usually occur
to the unit's mission. The Centers may be open
during the duty day.
at other times for participation by non-military
(3) Small Group Activities. These may be
users and at posts where there is considerable
spontaneously generated activities such as TV
night duty, if scheduling of the staff and
viewing, record and tape listening, games,
resources permit.
reading, writing, and conversing, as well as
activities planned and executed by staff
g. USERS. The Recreation Center serves both
members, such as discussion groups, classes, etc.
enlisted personnel and other members of the
Group sizes can vary considerably from 1 to 4
military community including their families,
for reading and record listening; up to 30 for
DA civilian employees and retired military
card and game playing, hobbies, combo
personnel. However, priority consideration is to
practice, meetings and small group programs;
be given to enlisted personnel and their bona
fide guests.
and up to 50 for special interest programs, TV
2-4
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