New designs and major renovations of college stadiums and arenas are taking inspiration from the pros in seating arrangements and amenities.
“Our research shows that fans want a new game-day experience,” says Sherri Privitera, NCARB, LEED AP, Principal with Populous. “It’s no longer as simple as providing fans a seat, a hot dog, and a soda.”
Game attendance at some major universities has declined in recent years. Stadium renovations are a big part of the strategy to win fans back.
Luxury boxes, club seating, and a wider variety of food and drink options are musts. When Baylor University fans expressed interest in making it easier to bring children to football games, the school added a stroller check, new family-friendly restrooms with diaper-changing counters, and stools to make it easier for toddlers to access sinks, says Privitera.
Training facilities are also getting nutrition stations, meeting rooms replete with the latest technology, and cushy lounges, all aimed at providing what athletes need to reduce their need to travel around campus. “Players are there for a certain number of hours, and efficient use of their time is so important,” says Fred Ortiz, AIA, Principal and Director of East Coast Sports & Entertainment with HKS.
ALSO SEE: BD+C Giants 300 sports rankings
Top 40 sports architecture firms
Top 20 sports engineering firms
Top 50 sports construction firms
Training facilities are dedicating space to academic study and tutoring. “It’s very much like planning an office project,” says Ortiz. Features include movable partitions and seating, projection screens, flexible-height computer screens, and extensive daylighting.
All these efforts are designed to wow prospective student-athletes, Ortiz says. In most cases, the university does not subsidize these improvements, Privitera says. Instead, bonds backed by alumni donations and revenue from ticket sales and premium amenities foot the bill.
SEE ALL 2017 GIANTS 300 RANKINGS
Related Stories
Contractors | Nov 14, 2022
U.S. construction firms lean on technology to manage growth and weather the pandemic
In 2021, Gilbane Building Company and Nextera Robotics partnered in a joint venture to develop an artificial intelligence platform utilizing a fleet of autonomous mobile robots. The platform, dubbed Didge, is designed to automate construction management, maximize reliability and safety, and minimize operational costs. This was just one of myriad examples over the past 18 months of contractor giants turning to construction technology (ConTech) to gather jobsite data, manage workers and equipment, and smooth the construction process.
Engineers | Nov 10, 2022
U.S. engineering firms cash in on a volatile, expanding market
New practices and markets drive growth for U.S. engineering and engineering-architecture firms. And firms are getting serious about reducing projects’ carbon footprint.
Architects | Nov 10, 2022
What’s new at 173 architecture firms for 2022
More than 295 U.S. architecture and architecture-engineering (AE) firms participated in BD+C's 2022 Giants 400 survey. As part of the Giants survey process, participating firms are asked to describe their most impactful firm innovations and noteworthy company moves in the past 12 months. Here is a collection of the most compelling business and project innovations and business moves from the 2022 Architecture Giants.
Giants 400 | Nov 9, 2022
Top 50 Data Center Contractors + CM Firms for 2022
Holder, Turner, DPR, and HITT Contracting head the ranking of the nation's largest data center contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 9, 2022
Top 60 Data Center Engineering + EA Firms for 2022
Jacobs, Burns & McDonnell, WSP, and Alfa Tech top the ranking of the nation's largest data center engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 9, 2022
Top 30 Data Center Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
HDR, Corgan, Sheehan Nagle Hartray Architects, and Gensler top the ranking of the nation's largest data center architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 75 Sports Facility Engineering and EA Firms for 2022
Alfa Tech, AECOM, ME Engineers, and Walter P Moore head the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 110 Sports Facility Architecture and AE Firms for 2022
Populous, HOK, Gensler, and Perkins and Will top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 60 Sports Facility Contractors and CM Firms for 2022
AECOM, Mortenson, Clark Group, and Turner Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Hotel Facilities | Nov 8, 2022
6 hotel design trends for 2022-2023
Personalization of the hotel guest experience shapes new construction and renovation, say architects and construction experts in this sector.
