Basketball and volleyball take center stage at The Fieldhouse Sportscenter, a multi-purpose sports facility in Springfield, Mo. Attracting student athletes and families from throughout the Midwest, the 46,000-square-foot complex hosts youth basketball and volleyball leagues and tournaments as well as a range of community events and gatherings.
Two separate metal gym buildings accommodate a total of four full-size basketball courts or six volleyball courts. The structures are connected by a structural steel building that provides a common gathering area that includes a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, a video arcade, four party/conference rooms and storage areas.
“There were a lot of different elements that had to be tied in correctly to make the three different buildings work together effectively,” says David Ross, director of operations and project manager at Morelock-Ross, the Star builder that led the construction. “One of the most unique elements of this project is the energy-efficient envelope, which includes three-inch-thick insulated metal wall panels and a Simple Saver roof liner system with additional insulation.”
Contributing to the design aesthetic, the buildings combine several different custom exterior finishes.
“The project was designed to provide a distinguished façade along the James River, emphasizing the dynamics of activity and movement,” says Todd Bolin, project architect at H Design Group. “The design intent was to simplify the form and structure of the buildings and tie in the ideals of competition, sportsmanship and camaraderie through murals, signage and apparel.”
Located on a prominent site in the growing southwest part of Springfield, The Fieldhouse adds significant capacity to the city’s youth sports venues and attracts visitors from a 10-state Midwest region.
“There is a facility on the north side of the city that was busting at the seams,” says Craig Naugle, MD, a local physician and the primary investor in the project. “We knew there was a need, and my wife and I wanted to invest in the community that way. It’s really working well as a community center.”
Operating year-round, the facility is able to host upward of 70 teams per weekend in a single venue.
“I think it’s just a great place for families to get together,” Naugle says. “We also have community rooms that people can rent for birthday parties, lunch meetings, business groups and church lock-ins.”
Naugle’s primary goal was to raise the bar for youth sports facilities by providing an authentic playing atmosphere for athletes and their families, many of which travel several hundred miles to compete.
“It provides a much better flow than other facilities I’ve seen around the country,“ he says. “Most facilities tend to be barn-like structures, with a bunch of gyms stacked on top of each other. You get a lot of whistle noise, and kids are constantly distracted. What’s amazing about our facility is that once you’re in the common area looking through the windows, you can hardly hear anything in the gyms.”
The Fieldhouse also offers courtside seating and privacy curtains to provide acoustical separation between the courts.
“When people come here from out of state, they uniformly say they’ve never played basketball in a facility this nice. I hear that time and time again when we host tournaments,” he says.
Naugle is also blown away by the energy efficiency of the facility.
“Our utility bills are at least 25 to 30 percent less than we thought they would be when we were estimating that in our business plan,” he says. “It’s pretty remarkable.”
The complex was designed to accommodate future expansion through a second construction phase that will add an additional two gyms.
Project Credits
Owner/developer: Midwest Events Center LLC
General contractor: Morelock-Ross Builders Inc.
Architect: H Design Group LLC
Civil Engineer: Anderson Engineering
Structural Engineer: Mettemeyer Engineering LLC
MEP Engineer: Colvin Jones Davis LLC
Related Stories
| Jan 5, 2015
Beyond training: How locker rooms are becoming more like living rooms
Despite having common elements—lockers for personal gear and high-quality sound systems—the real challenge when designing locker rooms is creating a space that reflects the attitude of the team, writes SRG Partnership's Aaron Pleskac.
| Jan 2, 2015
Construction put in place enjoyed healthy gains in 2014
Construction consultant FMI foresees—with some caveats—continuing growth in the office, lodging, and manufacturing sectors. But funding uncertainties raise red flags in education and healthcare.
| Dec 30, 2014
A simplified arena concept for NBA’s Warriors creates interest
The Golden State Warriors, currently the team with the best record in the National Basketball Association, looks like it could finally get a new arena.
| Dec 28, 2014
AIA course: Enhancing interior comfort while improving overall building efficacy
Providing more comfortable conditions to building occupants has become a top priority in today’s interior designs. This course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Dec 18, 2014
Top 10 sports facilities of 2014: Designboom ranks the year's best projects
The list includes some of the year's epic stadiums, such as World Cup Stadium Arena de Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil, and smaller projects, like the Spordtgebouw Sports Centerin the Netherlands.
| Nov 19, 2014
Must see: Arup, Damian Rogers propose urban surf park in Melbourne
The surfing pool would offer 98-foot-wide waves that would run the length of the 500-foot-long enclave.
| Nov 18, 2014
New tool helps developers, contractors identify geographic risk for construction
The new interactive tool from Aon Risk Solutions provides real-time updates pertaining to the risk climate of municipalities across the U.S.
| Nov 18, 2014
Fan of the High Line? Check out NYC's next public park plan (hint: it floats)
Backed by billionaire Barry Diller, the $170 million "floating park" is planned for the Hudson River, and will contain wooded areas and three performance venues.
| Nov 6, 2014
Studio Gang Architects will convert power plant into college recreation center
The century-old power plant will be converted into a recreation facility with a coffee shop, lounges, club rooms, a conference center, lecture hall, and theater, according to designboom.
