Articles 

High School Stadium Design Tips

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Site Planning and Utilities

  • Make the stadium co-exist with other educational facilities
  • Consider sharing parking spaces with a high school
  • Investigate shared locker room opportunities
  • Discover opportunities to build simultaneously and reduce costs

Storm Drainage & Detention Ponds

  • Realize that large paved areas cause greater run-off
  • Consider that storm water detention, if required, consumes large site areas
  • Prepare detention pond facility for safety during storm conditions
  • Note that landscaped retention ponds are more expensive than detention ponds

Water Distribution

  • Consider a main fire line surrounding complex
  • Remember to design for peak demand at public toilets
  • Provide quick-connect hydrants in grandstands for wash-down
  • Understand water meter options and related impact fees

Overall Design Considerations

  • Orient playfield north-south
  • Slightly NW to SE is best for solar conditions in the United States
  • Face press box and home team stands to the east to avoid afternoon sun
  • Consider concession/toilet locations at stadium corners, end zones or behind stands
  • Access grandstands aisles via a crossaisle at the base, top or mid-level
  • Remember that stands can also be accessed from below through vomitory openings
  • Note that stands can be split into upper and lower sections
  • Consider that economical grandstand configuration relates closely to site topography
  • Note that a concourse, without a field view, can be created below grandstands or an open concourse, with a field view, can be created beneath grandstands
  • Realize that a stadium with a track is less intimate than one without

Sightlines

  • Allow wheelchair patrons to see over others standing in front per ADA requirements
  • Consider ability to view sideline performances
  • Maintain sightline visibility to a four-foot high focal point at the sideline

Wayfinding Graphics

  • Guide patrons from nearby off-site locations to their seats through wayfinding efforts
  • Create signage character that exemplifies the stadium’s brand
  • Systematize graphics presentation for maximum legibility

Building Design Issues

  • Determine appropriate riser construction
  • Aluminum and steel riser construction is least expensive – about $150 per seat
  • Ground-supported concrete is a very durable option – about $200 to $225 per seat
  • Elevated concrete stands are durable but expensive – about $300 or more per seat.

Reserved Seating

  • Include folding chair back seating for season ticket holders – usually about 1,000 seats are located at the center of home stands
  • Note that this seating area may require wider platforms than adjacent typical bench seating
  • Consider width of individual chairs for seating comfort – chair widths range from 18 to 22 inches
  • Control access to this seating area and consider elevator access

Press Box Size and Design

  • Study two-story versus one-story configurations
  • Note that the press box is the most expensive part, per square foot, of the complex
  • Provide at least two fire stairs and determine whether they must extend to grade for existing purposes
  • Consider a total-vision glass system for unobstructed viewing
  • Remember that elevator speed and capacity are important functions
  • Provide chair rails and other measures to protect finishes
  • Design lighting and interior colors to prevent veiling reflections off glass
  • Provide for open air listening for band competitions

Locker Rooms

  • Consider four-team locker rooms in lieu of two for playoff venues
  • Realize doubled traffic issues associated with scheme

Project Specific Details

  • Investigate the newest generation of in-fill turf systems that have revolutionized surface performance and durability
  • These systems also tend to reduce incidence of athletic injuries
  • Design bowl to provide drainage in addition to percolation through the surface in the event of major storms
  • Consider safety wall padding at bowl perimeter, if applicable
  • Provide paved track at edge of field for maintenance vehicles

Track and Field Events

  • Research track surfacing materials to determine the most appropriate system
  • Consider the joint durability between track and turf surface
  • Contemplate dual straight-aways for large practice or competition events
  • Consider impact of jump pit locations, if in the field surface
  • Provide nearby storage areas for track equipment, etc.

Sports Lighting

  • Minimum maintained footcandles for UIL 10,000 seats = 50fc
  • Minimum recommended maintained footcandles for TV broadcast = 70fc
  • MCAA recommended footcandles for TV broadcast = 100fc
  • Light pole distance from field affects number of fixtures required and height
  • Light pollution may be an issue, requiring baffles on lights, which reduce efficiency

Scoreboard

  • Research viability of sponsored scoreboard and scoreboard ad revenues
  • Maximize instant replay, streaming video and other marketing opportunities
  • Remember that trained, high-tech staff must operate the scoreboard

Video, Sound System and Technology

  • Provide press box video balcony or deck at center of field
  • Allow room for multiple tripods, operators and equipment cases
  • Provide power and cabling to network as well as remote TV production van(s)
  • Consider CCTV to concessions and press box booths
  • Allow Internet access at all press box seats
  • Install sound system with complete and audible coverage including speakers under concealed areas and adjustable ambient speakers to press box booths
  • Pipe ambient crowd noise to interior press box spaces

Mark VanderVoort, AIA, a senior vice president at HKS Inc. He can be reached at mvandervoort@hksinc.com.