The Philip & Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center rises above the Hudson and Harlem Rivers, showcasing a vertical design that maximizes limited urban space while enhancing athletic performance. | Photo Credit (all): Kingspan Light + Air
By Neall Digert, Ph.D., MIES
Developing athletic facilities in dense, urban environments can present a unique set of challenges. While these types of projects are often constrained by surrounding development and environmental barriers, design teams are still expected to deliver safe, high-performance spaces that support rigorous activities. At the same time, designs must anticipate the realities of climate change by embedding resilience and sustainability at every level.
Columbia University’s Philip & Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center stands as a model of resilient design, demonstrating how to successfully overcome these challenges. Perched on the northern tip of Manhattan between the Hudson and Harlem Rivers, the state-of-the-art facility employs a vertical building strategy, advanced daylighting solutions and flood-resilient design concepts to create one of the most forward-thinking collegiate athletic centers in the country.
This project also reflects broader industry trends: the rise of climate-conscious design, the imperative for sustainable building practices and the growing importance of maximizing limited urban land. With U.S. Census data showing that 88% of metropolitan areas gained population between 2023 and 2024, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) projecting increasingly severe storms from climate change, the importance of space-conscious, adaptive design will only continue to rise.
Meeting the Urban Challenge
When Perkins&Will set out to design the Milstein Family Tennis Center, the firm faced the dual challenge of replacing an aging structure within Columbia University’s Baker Athletics Complex while also reflecting the institution’s commitment to resilient, high-performance design. Given the site’s proximity to two major waterways in one of the nation’s most densely populated areas, the project required a facility that met NCAA standards with six indoor and six outdoor courts, plus training areas, locker rooms and social spaces.
Adding to the complexity, the building had to maintain strong visual and physical connections to the surrounding park and waterfront, despite the site’s vulnerability to flooding.
“The motto for this project was fitness for all, and our team needed to create both a functional athletic facility and a community space within a constrained footprint, on land that has narrowly escaped severe flooding in the past and faces ongoing risk in the future,” said Stephen Sefton, Design Director, Principal, Perkins&Will.
Building Up, Not Out
To surmount the site’s restrictions, the design team implemented a vertical building strategy: elevating six indoor courts above the 100-year floodplain surrounded by resilient support areas with six more courts stacked above on the roof, with six more on the roof. This tiered design supported spatial and functional needs without compromising the surrounding landscape.
By building vertically, Perkins&Will was able to incorporate social gathering areas and training amenities while also creating opportunities for more strategic integration of daylighting features and view corridors.
Harnessing Natural Daylight
Daylighting was a central design driver for the Milstein Family Tennis Center. To enhance visibility, comfort and energy efficiency, the design team specified Kingspan Light + Air’s UniGrid™ FRP Wall System with Verti-Lite™ grid pattern and integrated windows for the indoor courts. The translucent panels allow for abundant, diffused natural daylight while minimizing glare and thermal hotspots, key factors in athlete performance and comfort.
“Natural daylight was essential for this project, not only to reduce reliance on electric lighting, but to create an environment where athletes can perform at their best,” Sefton continued. “The UniGrid™ system gave us the ability to balance soft, even daylight with clear sightlines, ensuring the space feels bright, comfortable and connected to its surroundings.”
Research continues to validate these benefits. Studies from the Lighting Research Center demonstrate that exposure to daylight influences serotonin levels and alertness, helping reduce fatigue and sharpen cognitive performance, critical in high-intensity environments such as athletic training and competition. Similarly, a peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that workers with greater exposure to daylight reported higher vitality, better sleep quality and longer rest duration than those in windowless spaces. In athletic facilities, these findings reinforce the role of daylighting as a performance strategy, supporting sharper concentration, faster reaction times and improved overall well-being.
Framed windows integrated into the translucent wall system build on this approach by introducing curated views of the Hudson and Harlem rivers. The façade’s vertical rhythm of metal fins and white cladding references Manhattan’s maritime and industrial heritage while delivering a clean, contemporary aesthetic.
Read the full article, including more on designing for resilience and efficiency, in the Higher Education Issue of School Construction News.
Neall Digert, Ph.D., MIES, is Vice President, Innovation and Market Development, for Kingspan Light + Air North America.