DESIGNED TO MEET YOUR DISTRICT’S FULL POTENTIAL
VLK MISSION
We guide clients through process, collaboration and imagination to realize exceptional environments to work, live, learn and play.
KNOWLEDGE OF ATHLETIC DESIGN
VLK’s athletic facility experience ranges from Texas high school athletics to the Southeastern Conference Universities. We have taken on many specialty athletic facilities during our 40 years of experience, many of which have been one off facilities which are considered to be the best in their field.
Creating district-wide athletic facilities creates unique challenges not typical of educational athletic facilities. These facilities are used for educational programs, athletic training, and competitions of varying scale, and are utilized by the community. The varying uses and different user groups create special challenges in the organization of the facility. The facility must be organized to allow use of specific areas, but must be secured to prohibit entry into areas not being used.
Special attention is required to create flexible, secure, and adaptable facilities to support athletic teams engaged in competition and spectators attending events. The overall facility must flex or adapt to a changing special needs when large events are held in the venue. And the facility must adapt to allow community use of select portions of the facility.
Competition events require a specific understanding of the space requirements of typical team facilities and the unique requirements of venues for athletic competition. Site planning must accommodate buses for competitions and private vehicles for participants and spectators. Service access and staging areas are needed to provide for special equipment needs and to provide for event staging.
Specific program needs guide the design of facilities to house sports teams. Typical team accommodations include locker and team meeting space, short term equipment storage, training areas, and office and locker space for coaching
staff. In contrast, the team facilities for a district completion facility include these typical spaces, but may need to adapt to the changing needs of the facility. For example, four locker areas might meet the needs for many competitions, but a larger competition might require team spaces to accommodate more teams. On past projects, we have used operable walls to partition locker rooms to provide flexibility and increase the capacity for “team” spaces.
Weight rooms and Training rooms in a shared use facility create unique challenges in creating a secure, safe environment that can be monitored and controlled with a minimal staff.
Gymnastics, wrestling, and natatoriums have extensive storage requirements for sports equipment. The placement and access to this equipment storage is critical for the efficient set up for competition, training, special events or practice. We understand how to create a simple, secure solution to these storage needs.
Arenas and competition venues present unique challenges that require an understanding of the special needs of the individual sports and the challenges of staging large events with multiple teams and fan bases. In addition, an understanding of how to design an arena requires special knowledge of sight lines for stadium seating and the special needs of event staging spaces. The goal in the design of a functional arena or competition space is to create a flexible venue that meets present needs and anticipates the challenges of unanticipated uses in the future.
Argyle ISD New District Stadium
Project Information
Year Built:
Est. 2026
A synthetic turf field, track, and fieldhouse were included in the last phase of Argyle High School and are currently being used for practice only. This new district stadium adds spectator seating for 7,500 fans, a 5,000 sf press box, and video scoreboard creating a competition stadium on campus at AHS. Three, 5,000 sf, strategically located concession, storage, and restroom facilities enhance the overall fan experience. These facilities are thoughtfully designed to accommodate the needs of large crowds efficiently, with modern amenities and accessibility features.
Arlington ISD Martin High School Stadium Renovations
Project Information
The new athletic stadium at Martin High School will include approximately 10,000 seats, a larger press box, locker rooms, restrooms and concessions. The design includes a landscape buffer between the stadium and neighboring homes and will utilize modern LED lighting that will be directed into the stadium onto the playing surface more efficiently with considerably less spillage from the venue and can be turned on and off quickly. The venue allows the district to host larger events and accommodate larger district crowds with easier access to locker rooms, restrooms and concessions. The design also features the ability to visually rebrand the stadium according to the school is using it. With lighting, signage and technology, the stadium will shift to reflect the home team for that event.
Est. 2023
Year Built:
Hutto ISD Memorial Stadium Improvements
Project Information
Year Built:
2021
Project Size
800 sf field storage
3,600 sf concessions
5,500 sf pressbox
10,000 seat capacity
Hutto Memorial Stadium Improvements to provide for seating capacity of 10,000 including new visitors field house, new concession and restroom facilities for home and visitors side, renovated scoreboard, new multi-level press box with filming deck, and site improvements to support these facilities.
Learn About the Hutto Stadium Renovations
Crowley ISD New Central District Stadium
Project Information
Year Built:
2022
Project Size
8,000 seat capacity
Cost
$52,000,000
The Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium is Crowley’s first districtwide stadium that serves its two high schools. Providing a state-of-the-art sporting event venue for the community, the stadium surrounds a turf competition field and accommodates up to 8,000 spectators with an adjacent field house. Concession and restroom spaces are located at all four corners of the facility, with sight lines to the field so that spectators can still see the game while waiting in line. Two large locker room buildings with storage spaces are located at either end of the field with moveable wall partitions that can divide each locker room into two separate rooms, providing the district the ability to house four teams at once while hosting tournaments.
Learn more about the new Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium
Hear from CISD administrators about the new Stadium
Check out the first game in the new CISD MultiPurpose Stadium
Katy ISD Legacy Stadium - in Association with HKS
Project Information
Year Built:
2017
Project Size
12,000 seat capacity
6,000 sf press box
Cost:
$61,758,334
Legacy Stadium offers a venue for more than just football. The multipurpose facility includes a two-story press box, training rooms, and a 12,000 sf field house with spaces for police officers, paramedics and coaches. An elevated concourse allows spectators to see the field while waiting in line for concessions and a limited-access loop around the stadium provides for easy drop-off and pickup.
Eagle-Mountain Saginaw ISD Pioneer Stadium Renovations
Project Information
Project Size
7,500 seat capacity
The Boswell High School Stadium Additions and Renovations include a new addition to provide football and gymnastics locker rooms, a training room, weight room, and an indoor practice field. The renovations include a pressbox replacement, as well as the addition of a home side parking lot, and new landscaping, a home side grandstand expansion, visitor grandstand replacement, new visitor bus parking, new perimeter fencing for safety and security, and the replacement of visitors' restrooms to serve the auxiliary field.
Denton ISD Carrico Athletic Complex
Project Information
Year Built:
est. 2022
Project Size
7,000 seat capacity
9,700 sf press box
Cost:
$55,000,000
The Carrico Athletic complex includes 7,000 seat capacity, with a horizontal one story press box and intimate seating built around an existing synthetic turf field with an eight-lane track. Grandstands were purposely lowered and extended to the edges of the end zones so all seats are as close to the action as possible. Two large video boards keep the spectators engaged in the play on the field and both home and visitor locker rooms stage the athletes before, during and after the game. Stand alone home and visitor concession, restroom, and storage facilities were added to each respective side while concession and restroom spaces are also available underneath the home grandstand.
Aledo ISD Bearcat Stadium
Information
The 8,000-seat, football, and soccer stadium features an 8-lane, all-weather urethane track and a synthetic turf field. A large, canopy-covered area is provided at the entrance to the stadium on the home side for vendors and booster clubs creating a carnival-type atmosphere. The space below the visitor stands is enclosed to provide storage for the facility, band, and drill team equipment. A concessions/ restroom building, located at the end of the home stands, houses the umpires’ dressing area for both the stadium and baseball/softball complex. A two-story press box contains tiered seating and provides spaces for announcers, press, radio, coaches, a film deck, and a multi-use room.
Texas Rangers Baseball Club Globe Life Field - in Association with HKS
Project Information
2020 Year Built:
The new stadium for the Texas Rangers, this “Next Generation Ballpark” is the cornerstone of the Texas Live! development, a world-class dining, entertainment, and luxury hospitality complex. Designed with a retractable roof for climate control and shelter, the ballpark delivers a series of premium experiences for the fans including clubs, themed restaurants, retail, and a hall of fame exhibit. The ballpark is a public-private partnership between the Texas Rangers and the City of Arlington. VLK was the project’s Associate Architect with Design Architect and Architect of Record, HKS, Inc.
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Ranger Stadium
Project Information
Chisholm Trail High School is the district’s third high school, developed to serve the rapidly growing district. Athletic facilities include a competition stadium with an eight-lane track, 50,000 sf field house, a two-story press box, a competition and practice baseball/softball complex and an 800-seat minor competition stadium. Core facilities include a 1,000-seat auditorium, a 1,800-seat competition basketball and volleyball gymnasium and an agricultural facility. Sustainable elements, including a geothermal mechanical system, irrigation for the entire site via the water in the nearby lake and use of a drip irrigation system that saturates the ground from underneath, will generate cost savings for the district.
2012 Year Built:
Brazosport ISD Brazoswood High School Fieldhouse
In May 2019, voters passed a $267 million bond program which included the replacement of the 50-year old Brazoswood High School Main Campus, Fine Arts, CTE and Field House. The District has engaged VLK Architects and the design development for a new multi-sport field house has been completed.
The new Brazoswood High School Multi-Sport facility is phase one of a four-phase, $150 million project. This facility will open Summer 2020 at which time the old field house will be demolished, making room on the existing site to begin construction of the new Brazoswood High School main campus.
The new two-story facility will be located on the east side of Slade Field offering direct student access during and after school hours. Students and visitors will access the facility from an expanded parking lot off of Brazoswood Drive. The facility will serve over 1,000 high school students participating in athletics and locker rooms for football, softball, soccer, track, cross country, wrestling, and powerlifting. State of the art amenities includes a 9,000 square foot strength and conditioning weight room, prevention and rehabilitation athletic training and rehabilitation room, wrestling practice mat room, and a multi-use meeting room with direct access to a second-floor covered observation deck overlooking Slade Field.
Denton ISD Bill Carrico Fieldhouse
Braswell High School’s athletic program demanded a safe space for athletes. The district’s design called for new field houses that were both adjacent to the fields/ facilities where there athletes were training while providing separation of the male and female locker rooms. The common spaces were also designed to provide ease of access for all athletes including the indoor training facility with large windows to provide as much natural light as possible and creating coaches office and locker room spaces while maintaining proper coaching supervision among the athletes.
Braswell High School has three field houses, one dedicated for football, one for soccer, track, and golf, and another for baseball, softball, and tennis. The football field house has dedicated locker rooms and meeting spaces for the varsity and sub-varsity teams, a state-of-the-art weight room, and a coach’s suite with locker rooms, offices, and conference space. The soccer, track, and golf field house includes locker rooms for each sport accessed from separate areas of the building for men and women. A centralized weight room and team meeting room work to both separate the locker room suites and provide access to any athlete. The training room for all athletes is located in this field house with access directly from the exterior. The baseball, softball, and tennis field house is separated into two buildings, one for the male athletes and one for the female athletes. The separation of the buildings creates a entry portal into the baseball/softball complex.
Sustainable features were incorporated into the creation of the field houses, including adding polished concrete floors throughout the buildings, complete with the school colors and incorporating natural light into many spaces in the facility.
Keller ISD Timber Creek Stadium & Fieldhouse
As part of the new Timber Creek High School, VLK designed new athletic facilities for the school. Athletic facilities included a new fieldhouse as well as a full 8-lane track and synthetic turf field for football and soccer.
Sherman ISD Sherman High School Fieldhouse
Project Information
2020 Year Built:
As part of the new Sherman High School, VLK designed new athletic facilities for the school. Athletic facilities included a new weightroom attached to the indoor practice facility.
Cleveland ISD Hal McClelland Sports Complex
Project Information
Year Built:
The new sports complex features a softball and baseball fields. Each has synthetic turf, state-of-the-art lighting, a press box and built-in dugouts, two sets of bleachers and high fencing for errant balls. The fields share a concession stand and restrooms. 2022
Denton ISD Baseball /Softball Complexes, Ryan & Denton High Schools
Project Information
2018 Year Built:
VLK was hired by Denton ISD to perform additions and renovations on softball fields for Ryan and Denton High Schools. The goal of the project was to create parity with the facilities at the district’s newer high schools, and to repair inconsistencies in the fields to provide a safe playing surface for the athletes. The additions and renovations include new dugouts, scorers’ booths, spectator seating, bullpens, and batting cages, as well as additional parking closer to the fields.
Denton ISD Baseball Stadium, Braswell High School
Project Information
Year Built:
2018
As part of the Bill Carrico Athletic Complex at Braswell High School, VLK provided three field houses, one for football, softball, and tennis. The baseball, softball, and tennis field house is separated into two buildings, one for the male athletes and one for the female athletes. The separation of the buildings creates a entry portal into the baseball/softball complex.
Midlothian
ISD
Baseball Stadium, Midlothian Heritage High School
Project Information
Year Built:
New 500-seat baseball and softball competition stadium included in the new high school project. This project included synthetic turf over playing surface except on the pitcher’s mound, three batting cages, two bullpens, and metal outfield fencing. The outfield area was designed to be utilized as practice football field.
Columbus ISD Softball Complex
Project Information
VLK Architects worked alongside Columbus ISD to provide a design for a new competition high school softball complex that represents the district, the community, and serves as a message to all visitors about the importance of athletics in the development of young women. The new complex provides a synthetic turf playing surface for the athletes, new dugouts, scorers’ booths, spectator seating, bullpens, batting cages, and a standalone concession building with public restrooms. The design presented promotes pride and supports student success for high school girls’ athletics.
Keller ISD Indoor Practice Facilities
Year Built: Project Information
68,745 sf Project Size
VLK worked with Keller ISD to build four indoor extra-curricular facilities for the district. Each high school now has its own facility that provides a sheltered indoor practice space for multiple sports and fine arts programs.
Crowley ISD Crowley
HS and North Crowley HS
Indoor Practice Facilities
Project Information
Year Built:
2021
Project Size
43,460 sf
New indoor practice facilities at CHS and NCHS to serve the band and all athletic programs that need a safe, dry place to train when the weather is cold and wet
Azle ISD Indoor Practice Facility
The 44,500 sf facility provides ample practice space for not only all of the field athletic programs but other programs such as dance, drill team, cheer and flag core. The pre-engineered steel building is signed to accommodate a 60-yard regulation synthetic turf field, drop down fabric nets for zoning the space and creating net enclosed practice areas. Sport dedicated storage and storage for adjacent sport venues is provided.
Sherman ISD Sherman High School Indoor Practice Facility
Project Information
2021 Year Built:
Project Size
85,000 sf
New indoor practice facility to allow for a protected environment in inclement weather. This facility was part of the new Sherman High School completed in 2021
Boerne ISD Aquatics Learning Center
Project Information
Completion Date
Est. August 2024
Cost
Est. $7,900,000
Owner Contact
Mark Stahl, Chief Operations Officer
830.357.2067
Boerne ISD’s outdoor Aquatics Learning Center will serve as a district wide multi-purpose teaching, training, and competition facility, catering to the diverse needs of the district and its community. It is equipped with modern amenities and will focus on the district’s swimming, diving, and water polo competition teams while also teaching and promoting water safety, fitness, and recreation.
The facility will feature a versatile design, incorporating a 25-meter x 25-yard swimming area prioritizing safety, convenience, and inclusivity, ensuring that individuals of all abilities have the opportunity to learn, compete, play, and exercise in a welcoming and supportive environment.
In collaboration with experienced instructors and coaches, the facility will offer a comprehensive array of programs, promoting skills progression, teamwork, and sportsmanship. From introductory swimming lessons for children to advanced water polo clinics for enthusiasts, this facility will cater to a wide range of interests and abilities. Additionally, the pool will serve as a venue for competitive events, tournaments, and special community gatherings, further enriching the district sports and local recreation landscape.
Boerne ISD aims to create an enduring legacy of aquatics excellence by maximizing the potential for community engagement, skill advancement, and recreational enjoyment. Establishing this dynamic and accessible Aquatics Learning Center, the district aspires to cultivate a culture of aquatic proficiency, fostering a lifelong appreciation for water-based activities and creating lasting memories for generations to come.
Crowley ISD Ryan Family YMCA Natatorium
Project Information
Completion Date
July 2023
Cost
$5,250,000
Owner Contact
Randy Reaves, Chief Operations Officer; 817.297.5800
The CISD Natatorium features large storefront windows along the north wall providing abundant natural light, a new scoreboard for competitions, and ample seating for spectators in new aluminum bleachers. The previous pool was demolished, and, in its place, the new pool doubles the number of swimming lanes to eight. The locker rooms are renovated and updated with ADAcompliant fixtures, while a new mechanical system provides dehumidification.
Town of Little Elm The Cove at Little Elm Aquatics Center
Project Information
Completion Date
February 2022
Cost
$21,600,000
Owner Contact
Chad Hyde, Community Services Director; 972.377.5564
Town of Little Elm Waterpark is an indoor facility with multiple water activities, including: a splash pad, double Surf Rider, lazy river, two-lane lap pool, two imported KNA slides - one of which was the first of its type installed in the USA at the time of construction. The facility also includes a rock-climbing wall, 3 party rooms, 10 cabanas for private rentals, a mezzanine overseeing the entire facility, along with concessions stands serving light snacks to guests.
As the project progressed toward completion, COVID changed global supply chains and workforces, seemingly overnight. Anticipated subcontractors, products, and systems slated for the project were challenged and often became unavailable or long delayed. The spirit of partnership and teamwork developed with the CMAR, Brannon Corporation, supported a process of collective problem solving and exploration to overcome the unforeseen pressures to budget and schedule. The owner, design team, construction manager, and contractor teamed together to explore alternative sub-contractors, products, systems, and schedules to still achieve the city's budget and opening goals. When possible, critical path items were adjusted or reordered to allow additional time for procurement or more opportunity for owner discussions and review. Lastly, the CMAR was quick to implement new on site safety procedures and transition to virtual meetings in order to minimize the on-site exposure of the workers, the design team, or the Town of Little Elm staff.
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Standridge Natatoriums Renovations
Project Information
Completion Date
July 2022
Cost
$5,490,000
Owner Contact
Grace Parker, Natatorium Supervisor; 972.968.5668; parkerg@cfbisd.edu
Mainly a maintenance package, work included a replaced bulkhead, replaced stainless steel handrails/grab bars at the pool, replaced starting blocks, replaced backstroke stanchions, and replaced gutter covers all around the pool.
Denton ISD Aquatic Center
Project Information
Completion Date
July 2003
Cost
$10,600,000
Owner Contact
Dr. Jamie Wilson, Superintendent
940.369.0000
A joint venture project between the City of Denton and Denton Independent School District, the natatorium offers a competition pool with raised spectator seating, instructional pool with waterslide, classrooms, locker facilities, and office spaces for the city and district. The project’s outdoor aquatic park consists of a separate entry, an outdoor-pool bathhouse, waterslides, lazy river, children's pool, covered pavilions with picnic areas, and 500-person grass amphitheatre seating area. The architect employed an expressive wavelike roof structure that would symbolize the movement of water in the pool below by using long-span curving structural trusses. Inside and out, the new pool facility provides a welcoming and recognizable image for all who use it. Contrasting materials and geometric patterns delineate the exterior, while multiple brick colors and textures articulate and give scale to the facade.