Portfolio: Multi-Sport Athletic Complexes

Multi-Sport Athletic Complexes

Firm Overview

Fanning Howey is an integrated architecture, interiors, and engineering firm specializing in learning environments. We use the power of design to create smarter, happier learners, more successful educators and stronger communities. From our offices in Indiana and Ohio, we have designed K-12 and Higher Education learning environments throughout the midwest and across the country. Our team is devoted to finding ways to conceive and build inspirational places for teaching and learning.

WE ARE LEADERS IN:

• Architecture

• MEP Engineering

• Interior Design

• Landscape Architecture

• Technology Design

• Construction Administration

• Master Planning

• Educational Visioning

• Bond Issue/Referendum Assistance

students attend Fanning Howeydesigned schools each day

Impact on Learning Awards for school communities (more than any other firm)

globally in LEED certification design for K-12 schools

K-12 school designs in 37 states since 1961

professionals focused on improving learning environments

years of expertise creating impactful spaces

Design Approach

With the region’s most highly-experienced team for the design of smarter places for learning, we offer deep insights into multi-sports athletic complexes. Our design approach maximizes resources and flexibility, while working within real-world constraints.

Multi-Sport Athletic Complex Design

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Here are a few insights that will lead to a better athletic complex.

• Put your priorities first. Maximize the school’s use of the facility before fully incorporating community events.

• Think operating costs. Don’t expect rentals to cover the cost for the operating budget.

• Plan for scheduling. Create a plan for who will schedule activities and evaluate requests to use the sports complex.

• Think long-term. Create a master plan that lets you fund items as money becomes available.

Athletic coaches are famous for burning the midnight oil in an effort to find a competitive advantage. They study film, evaluate their team’s strengths and weaknesses and devise complex strategies – all in the name of being as informed as possible. Successfully designing a multi-sport athletic complex requires a similar level of preparation. Before you start a project, it is important to take the time and answer a few basic questions.

WHAT IS THE LARGEST EVENT YOUR FACILITY WILL HOST?

One of the most fundamental questions an owner must ask is, “How big do we want to be?” Many school districts expand outdoor athletic facilities with the goal of hosting sectional and regional playoffs, or even state championships. Before taking this approach, it is important to understand the requirements for hosting such events. Criteria will vary by sport and by state. However, they will generally involve the following elements:

• total number of seats

• type of playing surface

• press box size

• proximity of fan parking

• lighting levels

During the planning process, it is important to be realistic about the potential to host large events. Though state and regional competitions can be lucrative, the cost of building a facility to the desired specifications can often be a challenge. The extra expense must be weighed against the potential short- and long-term benefits.

ABOVE | The Ziosnville Sports Complex supports a variety of athletic activities, including baseball, soccer and tennis.

HOW WILL YOUR FACILITY BE USED, AND BY WHOM?

While your largest draw may be the Friday night football game, it is crucial to consider the needs of all potential end users, including track and field athletes, soccer players, the marching band and local residents.

Track and Field

When it comes to track and field, be sure to consider the technical specifications and regulations governing these events. The placement and orientation of the track and the individual field events will affect the playability and long-term maintenance of the facility. Using an in-fill synthetic field inside the track allows for improved grading and drainage options, and makes it easier to meet the stringent guidelines for competitive tracks.

Soccer Teams

For soccer teams, it is important to provide as much playing surface as possible. Remember to keep enough clear space on the sidelines for corner kicks and throw-ins. Although a popular approach is to color the football end zone with intense graphics, this can impact a soccer goalie’s ability to see the ball near the net. If a stadium is truly intended to be a multi-sport complex, the facility should anticipate the needs of all users.

Marching Band

The marching band is an important, but sometimes overlooked, stakeholder. Consider proper placement of movable bleachers and the resulting impact on acoustics. Ease of access to and from the field, as well as to adjacent staging areas, is another concern. When selecting a field surface, keep in mind that in-fill synthetic turf can take the abuse of hundreds of marching feet. This allows the stadium to be used by the band for practice and competition.

Community Use

Last but not least, make sure facilities are properly lighted to allow community use. A new or upgraded stadium can be a premium venue for outside groups seeking to play sports, host fund raisers or simply walk the track.

“ WhatFanningHowey designedforusin termofathleticsis botheconomicaland flatoutfirstrate.”

– DR. SCOTT ROBISON, SUPERINTENDENT Zionsville Community School Zionsville, OH

HOW CAN THE FACILITY BE OPTIMIZED?

While items like seat count and field size often take center stage during the planning and design of a new stadium, smaller improvements also make a big impact. For example, including an in-fill synthetic turf system is one of the best investments you can make. In-fill turf fields reduce both maintenance costs and the rate of player injuries. Because of their extreme durability, in-fill synthetic turf fields also increase the number of event opportunities, which, in turn, increases revenue.

Parking, traffic circulation and signage also greatly impact the fan experience. Make sure that parking is within a reasonable distance of the facility and that pedestrians have a safe route to the venue. Be sure to eliminate any traffic bottlenecks near the stadium. When possible, provide large vehicular access to the locker facilities and field. Imagine a band contest with buses and semi trucks filled with instruments and equipment from 10 different schools. During events such as these, access to facilities is crucial.

Way-finding signage and restrooms are two important but sometimes overlooked components of a successful outdoor athletic facility. Way-finding signage should be placed along main traffic corridors, to allow out-of-town visitors to easily find the venue. Prominently-placed signage also demonstrates school pride. On site, be sure to provide appropriate restroom facilities. While you may only need the full complement of restrooms for five or six large events a year, it is important to plan for these periods of maximum usage, either by allocating the necessary amount of restrooms or supplementing a smaller facility with portable units.

DEVELOPING YOUR PLAN

No matter what your goals, preparation is the key to success. Develop a plan that addresses the needs of all stakeholders, and you will have exceptional outdoor athletic facilities for years to come.

Featured Projects

Our portfolio of multi-sports athletic complexes reflects decades of continuous thinking about these types of facilities. In each case, the design expresses the needs of the client and the community.

Columbia City High School Sports Complex

Columbia City, IN

As part of a new high school campus, the Columbia City Multi-Sports Complex serves the entire Whitley County community.

The inclusion of a turf field is key to the flexibility of the sports complex. The turf field will support football and soccer competitions, marching band activities and community events.

The design provides all the features of a multi-use complex, including an LED scoreboard, a new track and timing system, new lighting, and home and visitor locker buildings with public restrooms and concessions.

ABOVE | Artificial turf increases the flexibility of the complex.

County

high

Patricia O’Connor

(260) 244-5772

Penn High School Sports Complex

Upgrades to sports fields at Penn High School have improved the student-athlete experience and reduced operating costs for the district.

Penn High School administrators identified the need for a more durable and higher-quality playing furnace for their Varsity football and soccer programs. We worked with various synthetic turf manufacturers to identify products that would deliver the necessary quality and minimize life-cycle costs. The resulting renovations replaced the existing natural grass field with an AstroTurf® system and resurfaced the polyurethane track. Electrical infrastructure improvements paved the way for the district to install a new scoreboard.

$781,637

DATE 2010

Dr. Jerry Thacker Superintendent (574) 258-9595 jthacker@phm.k12.in.us

Soccer

Track

ABOVE | Design of the Penn High School sports complex supports multiple uses.

Southmont Schools Sports Complex

A new sports complex is helping Southmont Schools attract students and increase the community’s pride in their facilities.

Design of a modernized sports complex is part of Southmont’s strategy to stabilize enrollment by attracting families interested in better athletic and academic amenities. The new turf field supports football, soccer, band practice, youth football and youth soccer. A paved area offers room for tailgating during games, and a miniature turf field gives younger children a place to play during sporting events.

Other improvements to the sports complex include new practice fields, new lighting and a new central support/locker building. The turf field has increased student athlete pride in their school and it provides new facilities for physical education.

ABOVE | The design allowed renovation work to continue over a two year period without interrupting sports activities.

CLIENT Southmont Schools

COST

Part of a $35M campus wide improvements project

COMPLETION DATE 2017

CONTACT Dr. Shawn Greiner Superintendent 765.866.0203 Shawn.Greiner@ southmont.k12.in.us

Football

Soccer

Band

Youth football

Youth soccer

Allen East Sports Complex Harrod, OH

The Allen East sports complex reflects the community’s pride in their school and sports teams.

The 1,966-seat stadium features a natural grass field with a full irrigation and underdrain system and an 8-lane all-weather track. Other amenities include sports lighting systems, a sound system, an athletic building housing team locker rooms, public toilets, concessions and storage.

The sports complex serves Varsity and Junior Varsity sporting events, as well as community organizations and activities. The facilities have strengthened connections between the district and community, and increased pride in the school system.

East Local Schools

new PK-12 school

Football

Soccer

Band

ABOVE | The Allen East sports complex serves students, studentathletes and community members.

Miami Valley South Stadium

Bellbrook, OH

A comprehensive renovation effort transformed Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools’ existing stadium into a state-of-the-art athletic complex.

The new stadium is designed as a total outdoor performance venue supporting events including football and soccer games, track meets, and band contests.

The new synthetic turf field is a premium in-filled artificial turf product that provides lasting durability with the look, feel, and playability of natural grass. The stadium also includes an 8-lane all-weather latex running track and pole vault, long jump and high jump stations.

ABOVE | The reserved section at the top of the grandstands provides a unique viewing experience.

“TheFanningHowey teamhasprovided exceptionalservice fromtheplanningand designphasesthrough theconstruction andprojectcloseout phases.”

– KEITH A. ST.PIERRE, ED.D., FORMER SUPERINTENDENT Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Schools Bellbrook, OH

Avon Lake Memorial Stadium

Avon Lake, OH

The new Avon Lake Memorial Stadium is a total outdoor performance venue, supporting events ranging from football games and soccer matches to track meets and band contests. A new synthetic turf field is the anchor of the project, providing lasting durability with the look, feel, and playability of natural grass.

ENHANCED CAPACITY AND FLEXIBILITY

The new stands increase the home side’s seating capacity to 3,204. Total seating capacity of stadium is 4,453 spectators. The new field includes an 8-lane, all-weather running track. New pole vault, long jump, and high jump events are supported at the ends of the field, thanks to a new all-weather latex sports surface.

PLAYOFF-READY

The home press box was enlarged to eliminate the need for a visitors’ press box and to maximize the opportunity for the district to be selected as an OHSAA playoff venue. Other work included new visitor rest rooms and concessions, updated home-side rest rooms, a new concession stand/boosters team shop, and other associated work.

CLIENT

Avon Lake City Schools SCOPE 5,000 New SF COST $4.4 M

COMPLETION DATE 2010 CONTACT Mr. Robert D. Scott Superintendent 440.933.6210 Robert.Scott@ avonlakecityschools.org

HIGHLIGHTS

• 8-lane latex track

• Synthetic turf

• Home/visitor seating with press box

• New concession stand / boosters team shop

• Updated home-side rest rooms

• New visitor-side rest rooms

ABOVE | Outdoor seating supports a variety of game-day events and community activities.

Additional Projects

Fanning Howey’s experience with outdoor athletic facilities for school districts spans more than six decades. See the following pages for a list of additional projects.

Outdoor Athletic Facilities List

Warren High School

Warren Local Schools, Vincent, OH

• $27,751,357 – Completed in 2021

• New High School with and upgrade to an existing stadium. Provided planning for artificial turf, bleacher relocation, and other site related issues.

Southmont Sports Complex Upgrade

Southmont Schools, New Market, IN

• $1,187,679 – Completed in 2017

• Upgrade of facilities include a new turf field that supports football, soccer, band practice, youth football and youth soccer. A paved area offers room for tailgating during games, and a miniature turf field gives younger children a place to play during sporting events. Other improvements to the sports complex include new practice fields, new lighting and a new central support/locker building.

Kenston Football Stadium Upgrade

Kenston Local Schools, Kenston, OH

• $4,433,581 – Completed in 2016

• New grandstand with 2,946 seats and refurbishment of 1,179 visitor seats. Replaced all lighting, resurfaced track, and improved walkway. Project also included a new concession stand and renovations to the transportation center building.

Green Level High School

Wake County Public School System, Cary, NC

• $62,000,000 – Completed in 2017

• New natural grass football stadium with grandstand seating for 2500. Also includes tennis courts, softball and baseball fields, and soccer fields.

Belleville High School

Van Buren Public Schools, Belleville, MI

• $46,875,883 – Completed in 2012

• Project included a renovation of the football field with a new 2,000-seat grandstand including a pressbox and locker rooms. Track was resurfaced with polyurethane and field event areas were replaced. Also included new varsity and JV baseball and softball fields with combined pressbox/concession building, 8 new tennis courts, and a practice soccer field.

South Gallia High School and

River Valley High School Stadiums

Gallia County Local Schools, Gallipolis, OH

• $2,650,156 – Completed in 2012

• New natural-turf football field with 8-lane track, stadium seating for 2000 with pressbox, and baseball and softball fields.

Allen East Sports Complex

Allen East Local Schools, Harrod, OH

• $2,067,411 – Completed in 2007

• The 1,966-seat stadium features a natural grass field with a full irrigation and underdrain system and an 8-lane all-weather track. Other amenities include sports lighting systems, a sound system, an athletic building housing team locker rooms, public toilets, concessions and storage. Project also included a small bus garage.

Green High School Stadium

Green Local Schools, Green, OH

• $2,305,035 – Completed in 2004

• This new stadium includes a football field with an 8-lane synthetic track and track events, a 10,000 SF field house including home and visitor locker rooms, public toilets, concession, and a ticket window. Also included are new aluminum home bleachers for 3,400 seats with a 700 SF pressbox and new visitor bleachers for 1,600. In addition, 2 new 1,000 SF storage buildings for equipment storage and new paved ADA handicap parking/access. Baseball diamond irrigation, fencing and dugouts.

Hilliard Third High School

Hilliard City Schools, Columbus, OH

• $42,224,000 Project - Completed In 2012

• New HS with complete site development including stadium with locker rooms in a 11,200 SF facility, as well as 2 additional outbuildings totaling 1,800 SF.

Carterville High School

Carterville Community USD #5, Carterville, IL

• $35,072,665 Project - Seating Capacity of 2,475 - Completed In 2011

• New latex surfaced track and synthetic turf field, new 475-seat grandstand expandable to 2,000 seats

Riverside Intermediate School

Hamilton Southeastern Schools, Fishers, IN

• $20,539,141 ProjectCompleted In 2009

• New latex-surfaced running track; new practice football field; 1 varsity softball field with 1 JV softball field; 1 new varsity baseball field; 6 new tennis courts

Outdoor Activity Field Development

Eaton Community Schools, Eaton, OH

• $1,000,000 Project - Completed In 2008

• The scope of work includes developing an overall master plan showing all the fields and associated developments including bleachers, concession stands, and restroom facilities.

Carmel Middle School

Carmel Clay Schools, Carmel, IN

• $22,000,000 ProjectCompleted In 2007

• Renovated football bleachers and new concession building, new 300-seat baseball grandstands and renovated field, new 100-seat softball grandstand and 2 fields, numerous portable bleachers for all sports venues

Murray Field Sports Lighting

Carmel Clay Schools, Carmel, IN

• $195,000 Project - Completed In 2007

• New sports lighting at soccer stadium

Tennis Center Support Building

Carmel Clay Schools, Carmel, IN

• $632,047 Project - Completed In 2007

• New support building with a 430-square- foot locker room, three restrooms, a 540 -square-foot team room, an office and a 370-square-foot mechanical/storage room

Zionsville West Middle School

Zionsville Community Schools, Zionsville, IN

• $35,184,252 ProjectCompleted In 2007

• 12 new tennis courts; baseball and softball fields with grandstand seating and combined seating of approximately 500; two new practice football/soccer fields and practice baseball and softball fields; cross country course

Fishers High School

Hamilton Southeastern Schools, Fishers, IN

• $66,521,944 ProjectCompleted In 2006

• 12 new tennis courts and portable bleachers; new latex surfaced running track; four practice football fields; varsity soccer field with grandstand seating capacity of 300+; three practice soccer fields; varsity and JV baseball fields with grandstand seating for 350 and 200 respectively; varsity and JV softball fields with grandstand seating for 300 and 200 respectively

Holder Field Improvements

Perry Township, MSD of, Indianapolis, IN

• $165,403 Project - Completed In 2005

• New varsity soccer field and grandstand with seating capacity of 350

Creekside Middle School

Carmel Clay Schools, Carmel, IN

• $29,186,080 ProjectCompleted In 2004

• 8 new tennis courts, 9 soccer fields, practice football field, new baseball field and 300-seat grandstand, new softball field and 1500-seat grandstand, numerous portable bleachers for all sports venues

Lakeland High School

Huron Valley Schools, Highland, MI

• $10,864,071 Project - Completed In 2004

• New baseball field, three new softball fields and four new tennis courts

St. Vincent’s Field

Marian University, Indianapolis, IN

• $1,400,000 Project - Completed In 2008

• Latex surfaced running track; 8 tennis courts, softball field and baseball field with concessions and locker rooms

St. Theodore Guerin Catholic High School Track

Diocese of Lafayette-In-Indiana, Lafayette, IN

• $502,883 Project - Completed In 2008

• New latex-surfaced running track; 1 practice football field; 1 varsity soccer field with grandstand seating capacity of 450+; 1 practice soccer field

Clay Middle School

Carmel Clay Schools, Carmel, IN

• $27,759,520 ProjectCompleted In 2007

• 8 new tennis courts, renovated football bleachers and new concession bldg, new 300-seat baseball grandstand, new 1500seat softball grandstand, numerous portable bleachers for all sports venues

OHIO

128 West Market St Celina, OH 45822 419.586.7771

4930 Bradenton Ave Suite 200 Dublin, Ohio 43017 614.764.4661

INDIANA

350 East New York St Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204 317.848.0966

fhai.com