Articles

Athletic Facilities 101

How to Create the Structure That Best Suits Your Needs









Ballew

If there is one blanket statement that can be made about athletic or recreation facilities, it is that they come with a hefty price tag.


Given individual differences between schools and universities, however, there is no one-size-fits-all facility. While building and budget requirements vary from institution to institution, the process that helps campuses get from need recognition to opening day is the same.


Create an Athletic Master Plan


By their very nature, athletic and recreational facilities are land hogs. The addition or renovation of a facility doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it impacts the entire campus.


A master plan gives education facilities a cost-effective model to help undertake athletic or recreation program growth in the context of the campus as a whole. Campus redevelopment and athletic program redevelopment need to work hand in hand to strike the proper balance of academic and athletic priorities.


Today’s master plan goes beyond what was once a strictly physical facility plan. Universities have recognized a need to bring consultants into the process to address issues such as campus egress, specialty sports surfaces and concession and catering.


If you take a short-term approach to planning, you can easily ignore these issues and find yourself with a facility that doesn’t function as intended.


When developing a master plan, the best way to achieve facility success is to involve every user group that will be impacted by the new facility. It’s important to include academic officials, physical plant managers, campus planners, business administrators and others.
Officials recognize that athletics is generally considered the front door to the campus from an identification standpoint. They also know that everyone has a stake in a campus’ positive image.


Emphasize Analysis


The master planning and feasibility study process should go hand in hand with financial, market and operational analyses.


A solid financial and market analysis will not only enable you to understand current revenue sources that must be maintained or enhanced, but to create new revenue streams.


Of course, the design of new facilities and renovations should fit into the campus’s operational and event management policies. It’s growing more common for campuses to look at the advantages of creating shared-use facilities that allow for the pooling of multiple funding sources.


Possible efficiencies in multi-use and shared spaces need to be measured against the costs and benefits of single-event, dedicated spaces. It’s critical to involve as many users as possible to ensure that the design of the building allows users to accomplish their task in a manner that is supportive to athletes, fans, administrators and support staff.


Support Your Fund-Raisers


Unless money is no object, it is important to keep the needs of fundraisers in mind.
Designers should provide materials such as renderings, models, three-dimensional CAD drawings and video presentations for use in capital campaigns and other development activities.


Institutions should weigh how much to allot for fund-raising materials based on the anticipated return on investment.


Going for Green


There was a time when building green was more the exception than the rule, especially where athletic facilities are concerned. As more state legislatures and private campuses embrace sustainability, athletic facilities are being asked to implement environmentally friendly design concepts.


Understanding LEED or other high-performing school criteria as they relate to sports and recreation facilities should be a prerequisite for any designer.


Use a Roadmap


Although administrations, coaches and the priorities of academic and athletic programs may change over time, it’s in the best economic interest of the campus to have a roadmap by which to move forward. After all, any construction project creates a domino effect.


Knowing what you are building and what impact that building will have on other users and other facilities during construction allows for proper project phasing to ensure long-term success.


The steps mentioned here won’t help you reach your goals overnight, but they will help you reach them in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.


Todd Ballew is a business development manager at Heery International and former assistant athletic director, operations and event management at a Division I institution.


Heery International