UMass Amherst Wins NIRSA Outstanding Facilities Award

We’re excited to announce that the UMass Ascend Climbing Facility, designed and built by EP Climbing, has been named a 2025 NIRSA Outstanding Facilities Award recipient.

This prestigious honor is awarded to new, renovated, or expanded collegiate recreation and wellness facilities that exemplify innovation, quality design, and a deep commitment to student well-being. Recognized for significantly enhancing campus recreation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, this project is a testament to what’s possible through collaboration, creativity, and purpose-built design.

Climbing Meets Community

Located in a new residential student housing complex, the UMass Ascend Climbing Facility was developed with one goal: to bring a vibrant, inclusive climbing experience right into the heart of student life. EP Climbing worked closely with UMass Amherst to design and build a bouldering space that’s as functional as it is visually compelling.

The facility features:

• 14’6” freestanding boulder with 1,500 sq. ft of climbing surface
• 855 sq. ft boulder wall of equal height, offering a complementary terrain
• Custom branding with the UMass Amherst logo and school colors
• Strategic placement and design integration within the campus living environment

Award-Winning Design, Student-Centered Impact

The NIRSA Outstanding Facilities Awards celebrate spaces that raise the bar for what collegiate recreation can be. Honorees are chosen for their innovative design, attention to well-being, and the lasting impact they make on the student experience.

The UMass Ascend Climbing Facility does just that, offering students a welcoming, energizing space to move, connect, and grow, both on and off the wall.

Award recipients, including UMass Amherst and the EP Climbing team, will be recognized at the 2025 NIRSA Conference Awards Reception on Saturday, April 26 at 8:30am Eastern, in Orlando, Florida.

A Shared Achievement

We’re honored to have partnered with UMass Amherst on this award-winning project. Together, we’ve helped create a facility that will serve the UMass community for years to come—supporting student health, building community, and shaping the future of campus recreation.

Congratulations to the UMass team, and thank you to NIRSA for this incredible recognition!