Design for The College of New Rochelle Wellness Center
Captures Leading Architecture Industry Award

New Rochelle, NY, December 4, 2006 -- The College of New Rochelle (CNR) today announced that the New Jersey chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has recognized ikon.5 architects for its pioneering work in design and substainability for CNR’s Wellness Center.  Joe Tattoni, principal of ikon.5 architects, is spearheading the College’s $28 million project.  The awards will be presented at a dinner on Saturday, January 13, 2007, at the Pleasantdale Chateau in West Orange, NJ.
   
AIA/NJ jurors cited the following reasons for making ikon.5’s Wellness Center design one of the year’s top honorees:
•    Of any project, most successful interior spaces; focal point
•    Maturity about this design
•    Very reasonable site gesture to keep open space and active center
•    Better integration of design features
•    Refreshing; understated
•    Underground pool should be spectacular

“We are delighted that the ikon.5 architects have been honored with this prestigious award from their peers,” said Dr. Stephen J. Sweeny, President of CNR.  “Joe Tattoni and Charles Maira are consummate professionals who truly understand the mission of the College.  We are fortunate to partner with them again to make our vision for the Wellness Center come to life.”
Mr. Tattoni first worked with CNR several years ago on the multimillion dollar renovation of Mother Irene Gill Library, which was completed in 2002. That project transformed the College’s library into an open modern facility with hundreds of new data ports, more workstations throughout the library, and advanced research tools to better accommodate new technology for students.

When it is completed in late 2007, CNR’s 55,000-square-foot holistic Wellness Center, will be unique in the greater New York metropolitan area.  It will bring together and integrate multiple disciplines to help students understand and practice principles of healthy living and wellness throughout their lives.  

The Wellness Center will consist of several technologically equipped learning spaces for conferences, seminars and classroom instruction.  It will feature a 1500 seat gymnasium and convocation center, 100 seat competition natatorium, fitness and aerobic center, NCAA swimming pool and holistic meditation room.  It will allow faculty and students to develop health and wellness education modules that address the specific curricular needs of the CNR communities as well as further the larger national goals of preventing major chronic illnesses, injuries, and infectious diseases.  Healthy lifestyle habits will be taught to students at all CNR campuses, and they will be encouraged to become models of wellness.

In concert with and in preparation for use of the Wellness Center, the College established the Wellness Center Committee.  Composed of CNR senior administrators and faculty, the Committee is responsible for developing a broad range of holistically integrated health and wellness education programs.