Page 15 - College Planning & Management, November 2017

to the surrounding campus.
“The integrated nature of this
project will maintain the compact walkability of campus, facilitate deeper connection and collaboration across the various units of the university, and offer an exciting addition to what we believe is the best on-campus student learning experience in the country,” noted Rev. John I. Jenkins, president
of University of Notre Dame, when the project was first unveiled.
Campus Crossroads is the largest example of this new type of hybrid facil- ity sprouting up on university campuses that connect academics, athletics and student life. And as the facilities race continues on campuses, administrators can expect to see many more in years to come, says Doug Barraza, a senior proj- ect manager with HOK, whose Sports
+ Recreation + Entertainment practice was the sports and hospitality consul- tant to architect-of-record S/L/A/M Collaborative on the project.
The largely untapped synergies existing between separate and diverse programs on college campuses have the potential to change the way university facility projects are managed, financed
and programmed, notes Barraza. “For a long time, athletics and
academics have approached facili-
ties projects fairly independently, but over the last several years we’ve seen a fundamental shift in that model,” Bar- raza says. “Administrators overseeing facility development are challenged to balance the facility needs of the institu- tion’s academic departments with the revenue generated from collegiate ath- letics and the importance of building a vibrant student life. What seems like a difficult balance can actually be a great source of opportunity for every campus planner, architect and administrator.”
The Evolution of Multipurpose Venues
For decades, the siloed depart- mental and planning approach within university systems resulted in projects that were single purpose. Academic buildings served only academics. Ath- letics served only athletics.
Like the University of Notre Dame, a few U.S. colleges recently have begun to shake up this traditional approach to facility planning and design, creat-
ing multipurpose buildings inspired
by commonalities in the program- matic needs and connections among various departments and programs. Northwestern University’s new Ryan Fieldhouse and Walter Athletics Center, designed by HOK in association with Perkins + Will, is one example. The complex, built in Chicago along the shore of Lake Michigan, relocates and consolidates practice, training and academic services for multiple sports programs, including football, soccer and lacrosse. Additionally, the complex provides recreation and athletic facili- ties for the entire student body.
Miami of Ohio’s new Athletic Per- formance Center (APC) takes a similar approach, consolidating resources to
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NOVEMBER 2017 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT
PHOTOS © CHRISTY RADECIC