University Athletics

LS3P

UNIVERSITYATHLETICS

In the Southeast, our loyalties run deep.

Ask any sports fan in the region to name a favorite team, and vehement opinions emerge: most often, the teams we support are tied to the colleges and universities we attended, our hometowns, or our longstanding family tradition.

Attending a university event is a memorable occasion. We go to cheer for our teams, to support our student athletes and scholars, and to experience the camaraderie of a live sporting event.

Game Day Experience Athletic facilities loom large in the lives of their campuses. On game day, they serve as the face of the university for students, alumni, and visitors.

A university stadium or arena is a source of school pride and creates an opportunity to showcase the values and vision of the institution while inspiring its athletes to ever greater success.

Supporting Our Student Athletes For student athletes, training facilities are a core part of their development.

These state-of-the-art buildings for practice and wellness provide vital tools for honing skills, working with coaches, and taking athletic performance to the next level.

Iconic Facilities LS3P is proud to have collaborated on the design of inspiring, iconic facilities, both old and new, which generate pride and contribute to a memorable experience for the fans- alumni, students, future students, and even the opposing team- who come to celebrate athletic excellence.

LITTLEJOHN COLISEUM RENOVATION + EXPANSION CLEMSON, SC First opened in 1968 and last renovated in 2003, Clemson University’s Littlejohn Coliseum is undergoing a significant renovation and expansion to improve the fan and student-athlete experience. Home to the Clemson Tigers men’s and women’s basketball programs, the arena also hosts campus events, concerts, and commencement activities.

Working in partnership with AECOM as associate design architect, LS3P is working closely with Clemson University to integrate the significant renovation with Clemson’s unique campus context. Improvements include an updated playing arena and seating bowl with a unique geometry that maximizes available space, increased premium level seating and amenities to enhance revenuegenerating opportunities, and consolidated practice and basketball operations program conveniently located under one roof. Upgraded support spaces will include men’s & women’s coaches’ offices, weight rooms, locker rooms, recruitment gathering spaces, and video editing / theater areas. Potential major renovations to the exterior may include a large ceremonial entry way.

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY MEMORIAL STADIUM SUITE RENOVATIONS CLEMSON, SC The reorganization of suites and clubs allowed for a more efficient use of space, including condensing two levels of press space into one level and freeing up underutilized space for a new club. This club has become a new revenue stream for the school.

The renovation also removed Plexiglas partitions in club seating areas, creating more of an outdoor connection and helping fans feel connected to the activity on the field. The project upgraded interior finishes from cinderblock to clean, finished spaces and enclosed hallways which were previously open to the elements.

Post-renovation, the school has seen an increase in subscription of suites and is able to charge a premium rate for the new spaces.

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY HISTORIC RIGGS FIELD FEASIBILITY STUDY CLEMSON, SC Working with campus planners and athletic department representatives, LS3P explored options to improve the overall experience of Historic Riggs Field. The site presented numerous design challenges including limited accessibility, low visibility, and few campus connections. The successful solution enhanced entry and connections while creating a sense of place to elevate the experience and appropriately reflect the soccer program’s high level of excellence. The design team utilized a detailed 3D model to understand the complex relationships within context, including grading issues, existing building relationships, and infrastructure. In addition to acting as a communication and design tool, the 3D model aided in producing a detailed cost analysis of the proposed design. The project included a new entry stair and plaza, ticket booth, enhanced spectator stands and concourse, donor room, locker rooms, and concessions. The design also addressed major accessibility and safety concerns along Highway 93 with a new site overlook plaza and enhanced connections to a proposed pedestrian bridge.

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY TENNIS CENTER CLEMSON, SC This state-of-the art tennis venue for the Clemson University men’s and women’s varsity tennis teams features outdoor competition courts and a 700-seat permanent stadium. The 61,200 SF Clemson University Tennis Center includes a six-court indoor tennis space; concessions and public restrooms; and a clubhouse with locker rooms, a training room, equipment rooms, player lounges, and coach offices. Related site work created a new parking area and six new outdoor practice courts.

The primary design goals for the project included improving the student athlete and fan experiences and creating a strong presence along the main vehicular thoroughfare into campus.

The new building is oriented along an east-west axis, optimizing sun exposure while maintaining desired full sun on the outdoor varsity courts. The clubhouse wraps around the existing varsity courts, creating an intimate interaction between the student athletic spaces and the site. The materials palette of masonry, metal panel, and glass complements the campus built environment while creating a contemporary aesthetic.

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY WEST END ZONE - PHASE III CLEMSON, SC The third phase of Clemson’s West End Zone was always planned to include a tower structure that would accentuate the stadium, define the center of the athletic campus, and complement Tillman Hall bell tower. The two towers perfectly align along a campus axis running in the east-west direction. A modern interpretation of Tillman Hall, the Oculus becomes the iconic vertical element to accent the monumental historic stadium. Both towers top out at about 140’-0” and utilize architectural accent lighting. Just as Tillman Hall and the adjacent open lawn of Bowman Field act as a recruiting tool for students, the Oculus becomes the recruiting tool for the athletic program by reinforcing its brand of excellence. The dramatic renovation also provides a huge boost to the game-day experience for a highly active group of students, alumni, and fans visiting Death Valley, as well as spectators watching televised games nationwide.

The West End Zone has been a multi-phased project, leading up to the third and final phase in the oculus. Two primary challenges in stadium architecture are circulation and scale. The previous phase utilized a multi-tiered step design to transition from the large scale of the 100’-0” high west end zone club to the street below. The oculus project reinforces this concept by creating a sense of balance and symmetry via the building massing.

The new spire strongly reinforces the center of the axis, orienting visitors from all directions.

EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY DOWDY-FICKLEN STADIUM RENOVATIONS GREENVILLE, NC LS3P and AECOM have teamed together for architectural, engineering and planning services for a major athletics master plan and stadium renovation for ECU. As part of the preliminary research process, the design team developed three design schemes which were used to study developmental options, cost estimates, scheduling, and the renovation and expansion of the football stadium.

Master planning and the study portion of the work have been completed, and the design team has just completed full-design services for the stadium renovation. The project is now under construction with the design of new press box facilities, donor suites and support facilities for Pirate Club offices, ticket office, and event space.

RECREATION, WELLNESS & SPORTS COMPLEX GREENWOOD, SC In late 2008, the Lander Foundation commissioned LS3P, in association with HKS Architects of Richmond, VA, to master plan and execute the Lander RWS Complex on 25 acres of previously developed downtown Greenwood, SC, property.

The site fronts Montague Avenue, the major vehicular artery into downtown Greenwood, prominently displaying the University’s commitment to collegiate athletics and community redevelopment. The Complex will include a rubberized walking track for community use, as well as access to several playing fields and concert venues.

The Recreation Wellness & Sports Complex will host Lander’s NCAA Division 2 championship winning baseball, softball, soccer and tennis programs, and will provide practice field play for intramural and collegiate sports. The Complex architecture is a retrospective on athletic venues through the last century, and develops a character similar to the great ball fields of the past.

PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE ATHLETIC MASTER PLAN CLINTON, SC This proposed Presbyterian College Athletic Master Plan provides significantly expanded and upgraded facilities for college’s baseball and softball programs. The new facilities offer a true NCAA game day experience for fans and athletes alike. The new regulation fields will feature media-broadcast press boxes, enclosed dugouts, new scoreboards, field lighting, restrooms, concessions, and pedestrian concourses. The baseball field will accommodate 800 fans, while the softball field will accommodate 500. A proposed 6,500 SF field house will support both programs.

Landscaping and site improvements will create a sense of procession and entry, improving access and forming a campus gateway to the athletic area. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2015.

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