Q & A
How do you approach a new design?
The way our team and I approach sports facility design is to look for the optimal contextual solution. Many of our collegiate clients have campuses with so much history. Our best successes have been when we match the scale and materials and palette to that context. These buildings function as sports venues and the form is not arbitrary. The whole concept is about people watching and participating in an event.
How is designing for student athletes different from designing for professional athletes?
I look at collegiate facilities as legacy projects. Not that Camden Yards isn't a legacy project, but you are developing the future of the way that those student athletes will live and train, which if you have a passion for this age group of student athlete or that atmosphere of collegiate sport, I think that it's a pretty dramatic thing to leave behind. Now we don't build that product, we design, so we are designing the future of that program for that university, which I think is pretty unique.
What are key trends and influences in collegiate design?
The collegiate project tends to follow the model that's been successful at the professional level. A current trend is to incorporate revenue-generating items and premium seating into these buildings that have historic significance to ther campus.
The game-day experience for the fan is what these buildings are all about. What can we do in that building to make it as comfortable and as exciting as possible?
Fans are looking for a comfortable seat, easy access to a concession to get soemthing to eat, and easy access to a restroom. Many collegiate buildings are deficient in all those areas. And yet, because people love that school they just keep coming back. You want to optimize those opportunities for them. There is a portion of the alumni who will be willing to donate or sponsor more if they have a little more comfort. That is a trend right now.