Salinas Valley’s Hartnell College is celebrating the finishing touch on its Athletics Complex: a highly flexible building at the hub of several recently renovated sports fields.
Much more than a simple field house, the new structure includes space for three standard classrooms that can be reconfigured to accommodate changing areas for home or visiting teams, group or solo exercise, coach meetings, and video reviews of game play. In addition, the building features concessions facilities, a large cluster of restrooms, and a satellite training room equipped to handle minor injuries, aches and pains.
Situated in the center of baseball, softball, track, football, and soccer fields, the yet-to-be-named field house needed to serve its multiple frontages equally. Belli Architectural Group, the project’s designer, used building information modeling (BIM) software to integrate use requirements and building systems in real time. The resulting structure is described by project manager and lead architect David Peartree as an “offset butterfly” design, which can be accessed from either the softball/track side or the baseball/soccer side. The central spine of the building comprises the concessions area.
“Building information modeling was a rewarding part of our design process for Hartnell,” Peartree says. “We are excited to be pioneering this new approach to building design in the Salinas Valley. Revit® (BIM software) is a powerful tool for the seamless coordination of building systems. It also allows us to bring our clients closer to the design process. At any stage, we can quickly generate accurate model imagery for stakeholder review.”
Renderings generated using Revit were critical in communicating the design solution to the client. “Because of its focus and location, it was important that the building be open in all directions, so that all fields were equally addressed,” says Damon Felice, Hartnell Community College District’s Construction Manager. “In addition, the look needed to work with existing facilities, yet generate a monumental feel that would act as a centerpiece for the entire complex.”
The new structure echoes architectural themes in its surrounding buildings, including split-faced concrete block and accent stripes in Hartnell College’s signature burgundy. Belli Architectural Group complimented these elements with bold metal roof forms to give the building a distinctive character. Donor recognition bricks and pavers, as well as a stainless steel display, have been built into the design and will continue to be engraved as the building’s contribution to Salinas Valley collegiate sports is acknowledged.
Already in use, the field house’s grand opening was celebrated on Friday, September 13 at 11:30 A.M. “It’s always fulfilling to see a project go from concept to reality,” David Peartree says. “In this case, it’s been particularly worthwhile to have helped tie together a pretty wide-ranging athletic program in our own community.”
“The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.” ~ Vince Lombardi