January 31, 2025 • 26 mins
Athletic facilities aren't just about sports anymore. As BWBR's Architectural Design Manager Kyle Lunke and Principal Craig Peterson discuss in our latest Side of Design episode, these spaces drive enrollment, enhance student wellness, and strengthen institutional identity.
Venues that welcome fans on game day help foster an incredible sense of community and energy—but the benefits go on long after the game clock runs out. That’s why we were excited to talk with Kyle and Craig to gain insights into how thoughtful design transforms athletic facilities into dynamic hubs serving entire campus communities.
If you like what we are doing with our podcasts please subscribe and leave us a review!
You can also connect with us on any of our social media sites!
https://www.facebook.com/BWBRsolutions
https://twitter.com/BWBR
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bwbr-architects/
https://www.bwbr.com/side-of-design-podcast/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Matthew Gerstner (00:00):
This is Side of Design from BWBR, a podcast
discussing all aspects of designwith knowledge leaders from
every part of the industry.
Hello and welcome to Side ofDesign from BWBR.
I'm your host, matt Gerstner.
On this episode, we'll beexploring athletic facilities
for higher education, as thesespaces can play an increasingly
important role in supporting thegoals and growth of their
(00:23):
institutions.
Joining the conversation fromBWBR Architectural Design
Manager Kyle Lunke and PrincipalCraig Peterson, thank you for
joining me today.
Thank you, good to be here.
Good to be here, matt.
Thanks.
I'm going to get us startedwith the question that a lot of
people may be asking themselveswhy are athletic facilities, why
(00:44):
are these spaces important tohigher education and what kind
of impact can investing in themhave for recruiting or
enrollment?
Craig Peterson (00:53):
I think we've heard from clients before in
talking about athleticfacilities in higher ed, where
the need to upgrade or tore-envision how these work and
look has a lot to do withincoming students having
terrific facilities even intheir high schools, and so just
simply to keep up with that as ameans of recruitment.
If we're talking about studentsnot the student athlete, but
(01:15):
the student oftentimes thesekinds of spaces are super
important for the student, asthey imagine and look at these
as amenities that become a partof their student life.
I mean student experience,whether that's an approach to
wellness maybe just, you know,places to work out and be
improving their overall wellnessor simply a part of intramural
(01:37):
activities, which again can bepart of even the social and
cultural aspects of the studentexperience.
Kyle Lunke (01:43):
You know, I'd say any business or company that is
investing a great deal of moneyin a new building or the
renovation of an existingbuilding or a remodel of a space
they're going to have it astheir top goal or one of their
top goals to be able to attracttalent.
And once you have the talent,retain the talent.
(02:04):
Right Now, I would say, afterdoing I've done a number of
athletic related projects, andafter doing one you very quickly
realize just how importantrecruiting and retaining is, not
only to the individual sportsprograms or the athletic
(02:24):
department as a whole but alsofor the institution.
I mean there really is a directand notable correlation between
the success that athletic playsat the college and enrollment
and driving greater numbers inenrollment.
So yeah, recruiting andretainment always top of mind in
(02:46):
enrollment.
Craig Peterson (02:46):
So yeah, recruiting and retainment always
top of mind.
One thing maybe to even tag onto is the notion that for some
they could look at this, thethings we're talking about and
say, you know?
why, are athletics so big athing Like?
What about all the otheraspects of colleges and
universities and commitments toeducation and so forth?
And I think that's all true.
I think one of the things toremember with athletics is the
(03:09):
facilities themselves stand outbecause they are so specific and
so fine-tuned to the activitieswithin, and so there is a
certain level of commitment tothe facility.
That has to happen.
You could say the same thing, Ithink, for fine arts and
especially performing arts, likethe theater that supports music
or other kinds of you know,acting and other things.
(03:31):
Those are fine-tuned spaces aswell.
So I think athletics, unfairlyor fairly, gets a lot of
attention in the sense of manwe're putting so much commitment
to, especially financially, tothis one aspect of college and
university life.
But I think it has a lot to dowith the type of building we're
talking about.
Matthew Gerstner (03:50):
There are a couple of things that jumped out
to me as you all were talking.
One was how these facilitiesthat we're building aren't
necessarily just athleticfacilities, athletic facilities.
There's potential that otheraspects to these facilities that
benefit the students in otherdegree programs.
(04:10):
The one that comes to mind forme is sports medicine.
Craig Peterson (04:12):
I think the crossover with academic
disciplines could just be theapproach to student wellness.
You know, physical health butalso mental health, and with
some of these facilities we'veseen space dedicated to that
aspect too, where, for example,components of the student health
arena within the institutionare also co-located within some
(04:35):
of these athletic facilities,which it really addresses the
more holistic approach, not justphysically in terms of placing
spaces together, but as anexpression of that commitment to
a holistic approach to healththat combines all these aspects
together and it really doesbecome an expression of overall
(04:55):
health.
Kyle Lunke (04:56):
I think that is a fairly recent trend.
That we're seeing is not onlyphysical health but mental
health.
You're seeing more and more ofthat.
The stigma around mental healthhas lifted over the last
several years and now we'reseeing that more dedicated space
(05:18):
for meditation, dedicated spacefor recovery, just the space to
go to just chill out for alittle bit.
I think back when I was in incollege and just the the stress
that is put on students and then, on top of it, student athletes
.
So you're not only having toperform at school, but you're
(05:39):
also having to perform, you know, on the field or on the court
or wherever right, right,related to athletics.
That's a lot and it's just aweird time too in your life.
I mean, you're just there's alot going on, and so to have
these spaces right To be able togo and just relax for a little
bit and relieve some stress andanxiety You're seeing that more
(06:01):
and more.
Craig Peterson (06:02):
Even on more of a lighter note, things like
coffee shops, juice bars, placesto study, so that the place
becomes a place to be and alsosort of enhance a sense of
inclusivity in a space like thatbecause in reality I mean
athletics, especially highlycompetitive athletics is a very
exclusive situation.
I there's only a very fewpeople that are extremely
(06:25):
talented in some of theseendeavors and so oftentimes the
spaces can have that sense ofexclusiveness.
But if you're able to bring thefunctionalities that really are
places of welcoming and aninvitation to all students, that
can really enhance that overallsense of yeah, this is a
building that serves everyone.
Kyle Lunke (06:49):
Getting back to the physical health and then also
now bringing in mental healthand that being critical for
athletes to perform at thehighest degree.
Do y'all watch the quarterbackNetflix with the followup
Patrick Mahomes and Kirk Cousins?
And one thing that struck meabout Kirk Cousins is how much
he worked on his mental healthHours of just really making sure
(07:13):
that he's in the right mindspace to perform well out on the
field, day in and day out.
Working on your mental health.
It's huge.
Matthew Gerstner (07:22):
It's something that I think most of us could
benefit from too, andspecifically those scenes Kyle
was when he'd bring out hisnotebook, his journal and he
would sit there and discuss thatstuff with his sports
psychologist and go throughthese things.
That's an admirable thing.
Kyle Lunke (07:39):
For our listeners.
I'd be curious to hear moreabout what can we do to give the
client a product that leveragesrecruiting and retainment to
the highest degree.
I'd be curious to dive intothis a little bit more and to me
, thinking about recruiting andretaining, that's kind of in two
different buckets, right?
(08:00):
Recruiting that is your initialimpression.
Recruiting that is your initialimpression.
If you can imagine a recruit, aprospective student athlete
coming to the facility and beinggiven a tour, where are those
awe-inspiring moments throughoutthe tour that can really excite
and entice?
(08:20):
That's really what it's allabout, right, that initial
handshake with the athleticfacility.
And so I think you know you gothrough a tour and maybe that
last stop is a recruiting loungeand you're there with the
recruiter, with the head coach,and maybe it's the athletic
(08:41):
director and you're sittingthere and us as designers, we
can be able to really help theclient and they craft a space
that that can have thatinspiration perfectly branded.
I think maybe it's perched uphigh and there's all this glass
and you can see the panoramicview of the campus and then
(09:04):
maybe in the distance you seethe game day arena or stadium.
You know those types of thingsreally make a big difference and
it helps make that perspectivestudent athlete think, wow, this
is this, is it, this is where Iwant to go.
I'm going to cancel all myother tours with the you know
(09:25):
the university down the roadbecause this is it, this is
exciting, this is very exciting.
And then and then to finishthis off, so that's the
recruiting side of the retainingside.
Now, in my mind, once you getthe talent and you want to keep
that talent, the retainment sideof design is more about
functionality and making it asconvenient as possible for all
(09:49):
of its users.
I think by doing that, this islike their second home.
They are going to be spending alot of time in these facilities
and so to make it as convenientas possible.
That all helps in the day today.
And, yeah, I like it here.
(10:10):
This is great.
I don't have to walk 300 feetdown a corridor to drop off my
laundry.
Matthew Gerstner (10:16):
The word that comes to mind is convenience,
you know, to your life, yourdaily life, of what you're
trying to pursue and achieve,and there's nothing in that,
then that makes it difficult.
Craig Peterson (10:30):
The convenience angle plays out in terms of just
the flow of moving from spaceto space, as Kyle was describing
.
It's also super important fromthat planning perspective in
terms of the athletic programand I mean these are, these are
teams, these are sports andteams that are operating
practice schedules on a reallytight time frame.
(10:50):
Like these things have to work.
You can't be wasting timebecause you only have so much
time in a day to run yourpractice and so forth and share
the facility with other teamsand so forth.
So these are highlyorchestrated schedules going on
inside a building.
So convenience is sure it makeslife easy, but it's also kind
of critical to just the waythings work.
(11:11):
I think we've seen, you know,wellness centers and so forth
supporting the general studentare really successful if they're
located in a way that is kindof central to the campus.
It's a place that you as astudent are walking by or
walking through, whether you'reusing it or not, you're
experiencing it on the dailybasis and thus, as a result, the
(11:33):
likelihood that a student willengage with it in a meaningful
way is much higher versus havingit far flung way off, you know,
on the edge of campus, far fromthe res halls.
The idea of convenience againcan impact the student in a big
way.
Yeah, you think about some ofthose practice facilities and
competitive arenas and such.
The longstanding traditionalcourt space, I think, is a prime
(11:56):
example of the multi-use kindof court.
You know it can volleyball,basketball, blah, blah, blah.
But I think, more recentlyemerging, becomes the field
house, and by that we're talkingabout the large-scale facility
which is, you know, at the scaleof a soccer field or a football
field, has high versatility andthen, if it's supplemented with
turf, you, you know, are ableto replicate your playing
(12:18):
conditions, you know, in the offseason or just simply in the
day-to-day.
Now, all of a sudden, an indoorfacility with lights, you know
that that can operate from sixin the morning till midnight if
you're folding in ear murals andother things like that.
So, and the other kicker withwith turf is and that's not
necessarily a new technologywhen we talk about artificial
turf but the modern,contemporary turf is far, far
(12:41):
advanced than the old days ofsimply carpet over concrete
floors In terms of lowmaintenance, obviously, but also
the replication of turf asnatural.
I mean, it is sometimes nowhard to even tell the difference
on that surface.
Kyle Lunke (12:56):
I think flexibility is key, but I will say that,
especially with the renovationof an existing facility, you
might not have the luxury ofthat kind of flexibility because
you're you're landlocked and wedon't have the opportunity to
expand.
I think about if you have abunch of locker rooms at a lower
(13:17):
level and you're renovating tobring locker rooms up to today's
standard.
You got to think about ADA andbringing that up to code, the
present and future needs fromthe client as well as
possibility of future programs.
Needs from the client as wellas possibility of future
(13:39):
programs.
You're hearing a lot more aboutcertain programs that they
don't have but they might havehere in the future.
So accommodating all of that ina footprint, an existing
footprint, is really challenging.
So one you know one tactic orone strategy to alleviate that
is you have all these lockerrooms.
Well, maybe there's a couplelocker rooms that can share a
(14:02):
wet area and that frees up a lotof space and pairing certain
sports teams with each otherthat are off seasons.
Let's say it's women'sbasketball and another locker
room that is women's soccerright, they're on off-season and
so if they're sharing a wetarea, there might be some
overlap, but hopefully not toomuch.
(14:23):
Just by doing that you can savea lot of score footage and try
to meet all the needs that theclient is asking for.
Matthew Gerstner (14:33):
Yeah, I can testify to that.
Out in my community where Ilive, the local high school
teamed up with the city and theyactually constructed an
athletic facility that has theindoor pool, weight training
facilities, cardio facilitiesand it is now part of the
community center, technicallyjust being dedicated to the high
school, where there's a lot ofdowntime for the local pool, and
(14:55):
so they've got open swim,they've got aqua aerobics,
they're running all sorts ofdifferent programs in there.
That also helps benefit themaintenance and the upkeep and
the cost of having the facility,because local residents can
purchase a membership, you know,and it's severely reduced in a
lot of cases the cost of thatfor a resident out here to be
(15:15):
able to afford that over what itmight cost you at a private gym
facility.
There's a lot of that happening.
So, like I said, I can even seethat here in our local high
school.
A couple of the questions that Ihave kind of relate to each
other and they're all kind ofbased around equity.
How are you navigating, findingbalance?
You know, equitable balance?
(15:35):
I mean specifically let's talkabout gender equity, title IX
between various programs withinan institution, or just the
equity of having a space that isfor athletes.
But what about the students?
What about the other?
You know the students and theirathletic facilities.
How are you finding thatbalance to these designs?
Kyle Lunke (15:57):
Title IX.
You, you know that's always inthe conversation.
That's a that's a really bigdeal and that is the right for
all student athletes, men andwomen, to have equal opportunity
, and so it's always in theconversation and we go to great
lengths to ensure that women aregetting the same opportunities
as the men, like I think of oneexample where we're designing a
(16:18):
basketball facility for both menand women and every square inch
was considered.
If we're making any adjustmentsto the plan for the men, we
need to make sure that we'remaking those same adjustments
for women.
Any sort of amenity that isbeing asked for men, those
amenities will be a part of theplan for women as well, even
(16:41):
down to views, making sure thatthe views out of the facility
are as equal as we can make them.
So, yeah, it's a big deal.
It's always a part of theconversation and we take it
seriously.
Craig Peterson (16:55):
Yeah, and maybe to just touch on equity in
general, I think the environment, the quality, the impact of the
space can have a tremendousimpact.
You know, can really affect astudent's impression of the
space.
I mean, we talked a little bitabout this in recruiting in
terms of you know that firstimpression For a student athlete
, you want them to walk in andsay, oh man, I can see myself
(17:20):
succeeding here, I can seemyself contributing to a team
that is going to winchampionships, the facilities
are going to support this asexciting space, et cetera, et
cetera.
First for a student, you youmight say that the you would
like the impression to be I cansee myself here, I can see
myself in this space and itfeels comfortable to me, and so
design can have an impact inthat, in that way.
Kyle Lunke (17:42):
As it relates to equity and inclusion.
I also think you know you getthe.
You have the three big sports,uh, football, basketball and,
especially in this region in theMidwest here, hockey.
They're the sports that aregenerating a lot of revenue, so
they do get a lot of attention.
But it's also important to makesure that other sports programs
(18:03):
are getting attention as well.
A lot of institutions willspend a great deal of money on
the three big sports, but alsoon all the other sports as well,
and creating a facility whereall can feel included, like I
think of what we did at AthletesVillage for the University of
Minnesota, and creating what iscalled the Center for Excellence
(18:26):
.
That's for all student athletes, and so there's a big cafeteria
, servery, dining hall that isused by all, dining hall that is
used by all a bunch of studyspaces, offices, multi-use
(18:47):
spaces that can be used by allstudent-athletes, not just the
big three right?
Matthew Gerstner (18:48):
Are there any trends or innovations you're
seeing within regard to athleticspaces in general?
Kyle Lunke (18:51):
as far as design goes, I don't know if this is a
new trend, but it's a trend thatjust continues to build and
build and build, and that istechnology integration, a lot of
different tools out there,training tools as it relates to
virtual reality for both thecoaching staff but also for
athletes during practice.
That's one that I wanted tobring up, because you just
(19:12):
continued to talk on how to makethe facility the best that it
can be when it comes totechnology integration and just
having an overall immersiveexperience for its users in the
building and also open it up tothe community.
These multi-use spaces andbeing able to open up the doors
and have the community come in,that's big, it's a benefit to
(19:36):
the community and it's also abenefit to the athletic programs
.
Craig Peterson (19:41):
I might add to a couple of things I don't I
don't know if you'd technicallycall them trends maybe more,
more expectations with a lenstoward the student One.
One of these would be the, theexpectation of the quality of
the space, and I'm thinking alot of, like the cardio or
strengths wellness spacedaylight views, high ceilings, a
place that not only you want tobe but you're there and
(20:03):
connecting with other people.
It's a place to gather.
I think we've been.
I can think of severalinstances where we've been
called into for projects and wetake a tour and we go to the
existing, you know, weight roomor cardio or strength facility
and it's in a windowless spacein the basement and frankly,
it's not a place anyone wants tobe.
Even if you're committed tobeing in shape, let's say you
(20:25):
just don't want to be there.
So I think that's one thingthat's always at the forefront.
The other would be too, I thinkthe acknowledgement which is an
acknowledgement both of thewellness program that
institutions might run, but itis impactful through the
facility as well is thatacknowledging.
There are many ways to beactive.
You know, it isn't just liftingweights or being on a treadmill
(20:48):
or on a running track.
You have a wide, you know, forexample, an array of studios
that provide different waysagain to be active, just as one
example.
So I think a lot of times thefacilities are being asked to do
a lot, and that's a good thing.
Matthew Gerstner (21:03):
There are a lot of great things in there
that I heard and the use oftechnology, the design and use
of daylight.
You're talking about a fewthings here that, if you're
opening it up to other classesbeing able to use spaces, you're
talking about offsetting thecost of some of these resources
in a lot of ways and makingthose dollars go further.
(21:24):
So that's just huge.
I mean, that's fantastic foreverybody.
So we have hit on a lot ofdifferent things today, but is
there anything that you canthink of that we haven't touched
on, that you might want to talkabout?
Craig Peterson (21:40):
I think it's.
Another interesting aspect ofthe design of athletic
facilities is simply thearchitecture of the athletic
facility.
You know how does the facilitylook and feel, and that goes for
the exterior, interior, all ofthat.
But it's really, I think, aunique design challenge or
opportunity.
When we talk about higher ed,because we have a campus, we
(22:00):
have a campus context, we have aseries of buildings and outdoor
spaces that are intertwined andintegrated with each other to
create an overall sense of place.
That is really, really criticalto the experience of the
institution.
And so when we talk aboutathletic facilities, it's really
critical to think about howdoes this building then
(22:22):
integrate with the campus sothat it feels like it's a fit,
that it's contributing to theother spaces and buildings.
And it can be a uniquechallenge because a lot of times
these buildings are really bigbuildings, the footprints are
large, the scale becomes aquestion.
These are facilities that aregoverned by courts and fields of
finite dimensions and shapes,and so there's parameters that
(22:46):
are well-established.
You can't have a football fieldthat is 120 yards long and 30
yards wide.
That's not going to work, youhave to work with the parameters
that exist, but then find waysto make the building feel like
it fits.
And it goes a couple differentways too, when you think about
(23:09):
large-scale campuses, where thelife of the campus oftentimes is
composed of districts, and sothere's an athletic district.
Well, then the question becomesis the new facility
contributing to the identity ofthe district, or is it still
able to create, and is it stillable to create, a tie back to
the overall campus, whereasother times there's there's
facilities, you know, that arejust right there at the heart of
(23:30):
campus, and so then the way inwhich that building integrates
and plays off of the surroundingbuildings becomes even more
critical.
So I mean, it's super fun.
These are great.
These are great challenges,design challenges that are
become questions that need to beasked and addressed in the
design process.
Kyle Lunke (23:49):
You know one.
One thing that comes to mind isjust the sheer size of some of
these athletes.
We created a space for theoffense and defensive linemen
for u of m football, and evendown to how are the seats
attached to the floor?
Because, to be honest, theseare, these are big people.
(24:11):
All right, 300 plus pounds, six, six, six, seven.
And sometimes there's some somerough housing that goes on
right in these rooms and you gotto make sure that those seats
are are anchored down properly.
So those tiers, the floor ofthose tiers, were made of I use
three layers of staggered tongueand groove plywood that is
(24:35):
anchored down and that thoseanchors now have more of a bite
to it.
So these seats are not goinganywhere.
Craig Peterson (24:42):
Another key element of athletic facilities,
you know, in higher ed, is theintegration of the visual
branding, whether that's teamcolors or logos or themes that
appear, and I think oftentimesthink of that as just visual,
you know, add on kind of, butit's messaging and it's an
identity, reinforce the ideathat that I am a part of a
(25:04):
bigger thing.
You know, and specifically togame day experience, it's about
bringing and raising the levelof enthusiasm and inspiration
and all kinds of things.
But even on a day to day basis,walking into the facility and
being reminded or inspired bysomething, you see, we get
involved in that application ofdesign into these facilities as
(25:25):
well and it's also an incrediblyimpactful element of these
buildings.
Matthew Gerstner (25:31):
This has been a great conversation.
It's probably gonna spark a lotof questions for some of our
listeners and maybe give themsome ideas of what this kind of
space can be and what it can dofor the campuses that that
they're on.
Thank you all.
Thanks, matt, thank you, man.
This has been side of designfrom bwbr, brought to you
without any paid advertisementsor commercials.
(25:53):
If you found value in whatyou've heard today, give us us a
like, leave us a comment or,better yet, share us with your
network.
You can also reach out to us ifyou'd like to share an idea for
a show or start a discussion.
Email us at sideofdesign atbwbrcom.
Yo.
This is Side of Design from BWBR, a podcast
discussing all aspects of designwith knowledge leaders from
every part of the industry.
Hello and welcome to Side ofDesign from BWBR.
I'm your host, matt Gerstner.
On this episode, we'll beexploring athletic facilities
for higher education, as thesespaces can play an increasingly
important role in supporting thegoals and growth of their
(00:23):
institutions.
Joining the conversation fromBWBR Architectural Design
Manager Kyle Lunke and PrincipalCraig Peterson, thank you for
joining me today.
Thank you, good to be here.
Good to be here, matt.
Thanks.
I'm going to get us startedwith the question that a lot of
people may be asking themselveswhy are athletic facilities, why
(00:44):
are these spaces important tohigher education and what kind
of impact can investing in themhave for recruiting or
enrollment?
Craig Peterson (00:53):
I think we've heard from clients before in
talking about athleticfacilities in higher ed, where
the need to upgrade or tore-envision how these work and
look has a lot to do withincoming students having
terrific facilities even intheir high schools, and so just
simply to keep up with that as ameans of recruitment.
If we're talking about studentsnot the student athlete, but
(01:15):
the student oftentimes thesekinds of spaces are super
important for the student, asthey imagine and look at these
as amenities that become a partof their student life.
I mean student experience,whether that's an approach to
wellness maybe just, you know,places to work out and be
improving their overall wellnessor simply a part of intramural
(01:37):
activities, which again can bepart of even the social and
cultural aspects of the studentexperience.
Kyle Lunke (01:43):
You know, I'd say any business or company that is
investing a great deal of moneyin a new building or the
renovation of an existingbuilding or a remodel of a space
they're going to have it astheir top goal or one of their
top goals to be able to attracttalent.
And once you have the talent,retain the talent.
(02:04):
Right Now, I would say, afterdoing I've done a number of
athletic related projects, andafter doing one you very quickly
realize just how importantrecruiting and retaining is, not
only to the individual sportsprograms or the athletic
(02:24):
department as a whole but alsofor the institution.
I mean there really is a directand notable correlation between
the success that athletic playsat the college and enrollment
and driving greater numbers inenrollment.
So yeah, recruiting andretainment always top of mind in
(02:46):
enrollment.
Craig Peterson (02:46):
So yeah, recruiting and retainment always
top of mind.
One thing maybe to even tag onto is the notion that for some
they could look at this, thethings we're talking about and
say, you know?
why, are athletics so big athing Like?
What about all the otheraspects of colleges and
universities and commitments toeducation and so forth?
And I think that's all true.
I think one of the things toremember with athletics is the
(03:09):
facilities themselves stand outbecause they are so specific and
so fine-tuned to the activitieswithin, and so there is a
certain level of commitment tothe facility.
That has to happen.
You could say the same thing, Ithink, for fine arts and
especially performing arts, likethe theater that supports music
or other kinds of you know,acting and other things.
(03:31):
Those are fine-tuned spaces aswell.
So I think athletics, unfairlyor fairly, gets a lot of
attention in the sense of manwe're putting so much commitment
to, especially financially, tothis one aspect of college and
university life.
But I think it has a lot to dowith the type of building we're
talking about.
Matthew Gerstner (03:50):
There are a couple of things that jumped out
to me as you all were talking.
One was how these facilitiesthat we're building aren't
necessarily just athleticfacilities, athletic facilities.
There's potential that otheraspects to these facilities that
benefit the students in otherdegree programs.
(04:10):
The one that comes to mind forme is sports medicine.
Craig Peterson (04:12):
I think the crossover with academic
disciplines could just be theapproach to student wellness.
You know, physical health butalso mental health, and with
some of these facilities we'veseen space dedicated to that
aspect too, where, for example,components of the student health
arena within the institutionare also co-located within some
(04:35):
of these athletic facilities,which it really addresses the
more holistic approach, not justphysically in terms of placing
spaces together, but as anexpression of that commitment to
a holistic approach to healththat combines all these aspects
together and it really doesbecome an expression of overall
(04:55):
health.
Kyle Lunke (04:56):
I think that is a fairly recent trend.
That we're seeing is not onlyphysical health but mental
health.
You're seeing more and more ofthat.
The stigma around mental healthhas lifted over the last
several years and now we'reseeing that more dedicated space
(05:18):
for meditation, dedicated spacefor recovery, just the space to
go to just chill out for alittle bit.
I think back when I was in incollege and just the the stress
that is put on students and then, on top of it, student athletes
.
So you're not only having toperform at school, but you're
(05:39):
also having to perform, you know, on the field or on the court
or wherever right, right,related to athletics.
That's a lot and it's just aweird time too in your life.
I mean, you're just there's alot going on, and so to have
these spaces right To be able togo and just relax for a little
bit and relieve some stress andanxiety You're seeing that more
(06:01):
and more.
Craig Peterson (06:02):
Even on more of a lighter note, things like
coffee shops, juice bars, placesto study, so that the place
becomes a place to be and alsosort of enhance a sense of
inclusivity in a space like thatbecause in reality I mean
athletics, especially highlycompetitive athletics is a very
exclusive situation.
I there's only a very fewpeople that are extremely
(06:25):
talented in some of theseendeavors and so oftentimes the
spaces can have that sense ofexclusiveness.
But if you're able to bring thefunctionalities that really are
places of welcoming and aninvitation to all students, that
can really enhance that overallsense of yeah, this is a
building that serves everyone.
Kyle Lunke (06:49):
Getting back to the physical health and then also
now bringing in mental healthand that being critical for
athletes to perform at thehighest degree.
Do y'all watch the quarterbackNetflix with the followup
Patrick Mahomes and Kirk Cousins?
And one thing that struck meabout Kirk Cousins is how much
he worked on his mental healthHours of just really making sure
(07:13):
that he's in the right mindspace to perform well out on the
field, day in and day out.
Working on your mental health.
It's huge.
Matthew Gerstner (07:22):
It's something that I think most of us could
benefit from too, andspecifically those scenes Kyle
was when he'd bring out hisnotebook, his journal and he
would sit there and discuss thatstuff with his sports
psychologist and go throughthese things.
That's an admirable thing.
Kyle Lunke (07:39):
For our listeners.
I'd be curious to hear moreabout what can we do to give the
client a product that leveragesrecruiting and retainment to
the highest degree.
I'd be curious to dive intothis a little bit more and to me
, thinking about recruiting andretaining, that's kind of in two
different buckets, right?
(08:00):
Recruiting that is your initialimpression.
Recruiting that is your initialimpression.
If you can imagine a recruit, aprospective student athlete
coming to the facility and beinggiven a tour, where are those
awe-inspiring moments throughoutthe tour that can really excite
and entice?
(08:20):
That's really what it's allabout, right, that initial
handshake with the athleticfacility.
And so I think you know you gothrough a tour and maybe that
last stop is a recruiting loungeand you're there with the
recruiter, with the head coach,and maybe it's the athletic
(08:41):
director and you're sittingthere and us as designers, we
can be able to really help theclient and they craft a space
that that can have thatinspiration perfectly branded.
I think maybe it's perched uphigh and there's all this glass
and you can see the panoramicview of the campus and then
(09:04):
maybe in the distance you seethe game day arena or stadium.
You know those types of thingsreally make a big difference and
it helps make that perspectivestudent athlete think, wow, this
is this, is it, this is where Iwant to go.
I'm going to cancel all myother tours with the you know
(09:25):
the university down the roadbecause this is it, this is
exciting, this is very exciting.
And then and then to finishthis off, so that's the
recruiting side of the retainingside.
Now, in my mind, once you getthe talent and you want to keep
that talent, the retainment sideof design is more about
functionality and making it asconvenient as possible for all
(09:49):
of its users.
I think by doing that, this islike their second home.
They are going to be spending alot of time in these facilities
and so to make it as convenientas possible.
That all helps in the day today.
And, yeah, I like it here.
(10:10):
This is great.
I don't have to walk 300 feetdown a corridor to drop off my
laundry.
Matthew Gerstner (10:16):
The word that comes to mind is convenience,
you know, to your life, yourdaily life, of what you're
trying to pursue and achieve,and there's nothing in that,
then that makes it difficult.
Craig Peterson (10:30):
The convenience angle plays out in terms of just
the flow of moving from spaceto space, as Kyle was describing
.
It's also super important fromthat planning perspective in
terms of the athletic programand I mean these are, these are
teams, these are sports andteams that are operating
practice schedules on a reallytight time frame.
(10:50):
Like these things have to work.
You can't be wasting timebecause you only have so much
time in a day to run yourpractice and so forth and share
the facility with other teamsand so forth.
So these are highlyorchestrated schedules going on
inside a building.
So convenience is sure it makeslife easy, but it's also kind
of critical to just the waythings work.
(11:11):
I think we've seen, you know,wellness centers and so forth
supporting the general studentare really successful if they're
located in a way that is kindof central to the campus.
It's a place that you as astudent are walking by or
walking through, whether you'reusing it or not, you're
experiencing it on the dailybasis and thus, as a result, the
(11:33):
likelihood that a student willengage with it in a meaningful
way is much higher versus havingit far flung way off, you know,
on the edge of campus, far fromthe res halls.
The idea of convenience againcan impact the student in a big
way.
Yeah, you think about some ofthose practice facilities and
competitive arenas and such.
The longstanding traditionalcourt space, I think, is a prime
(11:56):
example of the multi-use kindof court.
You know it can volleyball,basketball, blah, blah, blah.
But I think, more recentlyemerging, becomes the field
house, and by that we're talkingabout the large-scale facility
which is, you know, at the scaleof a soccer field or a football
field, has high versatility andthen, if it's supplemented with
turf, you, you know, are ableto replicate your playing
(12:18):
conditions, you know, in the offseason or just simply in the
day-to-day.
Now, all of a sudden, an indoorfacility with lights, you know
that that can operate from sixin the morning till midnight if
you're folding in ear murals andother things like that.
So, and the other kicker withwith turf is and that's not
necessarily a new technologywhen we talk about artificial
turf but the modern,contemporary turf is far, far
(12:41):
advanced than the old days ofsimply carpet over concrete
floors In terms of lowmaintenance, obviously, but also
the replication of turf asnatural.
I mean, it is sometimes nowhard to even tell the difference
on that surface.
Kyle Lunke (12:56):
I think flexibility is key, but I will say that,
especially with the renovationof an existing facility, you
might not have the luxury ofthat kind of flexibility because
you're you're landlocked and wedon't have the opportunity to
expand.
I think about if you have abunch of locker rooms at a lower
(13:17):
level and you're renovating tobring locker rooms up to today's
standard.
You got to think about ADA andbringing that up to code, the
present and future needs fromthe client as well as
possibility of future programs.
Needs from the client as wellas possibility of future
(13:39):
programs.
You're hearing a lot more aboutcertain programs that they
don't have but they might havehere in the future.
So accommodating all of that ina footprint, an existing
footprint, is really challenging.
So one you know one tactic orone strategy to alleviate that
is you have all these lockerrooms.
Well, maybe there's a couplelocker rooms that can share a
(14:02):
wet area and that frees up a lotof space and pairing certain
sports teams with each otherthat are off seasons.
Let's say it's women'sbasketball and another locker
room that is women's soccerright, they're on off-season and
so if they're sharing a wetarea, there might be some
overlap, but hopefully not toomuch.
(14:23):
Just by doing that you can savea lot of score footage and try
to meet all the needs that theclient is asking for.
Matthew Gerstner (14:33):
Yeah, I can testify to that.
Out in my community where Ilive, the local high school
teamed up with the city and theyactually constructed an
athletic facility that has theindoor pool, weight training
facilities, cardio facilitiesand it is now part of the
community center, technicallyjust being dedicated to the high
school, where there's a lot ofdowntime for the local pool, and
(14:55):
so they've got open swim,they've got aqua aerobics,
they're running all sorts ofdifferent programs in there.
That also helps benefit themaintenance and the upkeep and
the cost of having the facility,because local residents can
purchase a membership, you know,and it's severely reduced in a
lot of cases the cost of thatfor a resident out here to be
(15:15):
able to afford that over what itmight cost you at a private gym
facility.
There's a lot of that happening.
So, like I said, I can even seethat here in our local high
school.
A couple of the questions that Ihave kind of relate to each
other and they're all kind ofbased around equity.
How are you navigating, findingbalance?
You know, equitable balance?
(15:35):
I mean specifically let's talkabout gender equity, title IX
between various programs withinan institution, or just the
equity of having a space that isfor athletes.
But what about the students?
What about the other?
You know the students and theirathletic facilities.
How are you finding thatbalance to these designs?
Kyle Lunke (15:57):
Title IX.
You, you know that's always inthe conversation.
That's a that's a really bigdeal and that is the right for
all student athletes, men andwomen, to have equal opportunity
, and so it's always in theconversation and we go to great
lengths to ensure that women aregetting the same opportunities
as the men, like I think of oneexample where we're designing a
(16:18):
basketball facility for both menand women and every square inch
was considered.
If we're making any adjustmentsto the plan for the men, we
need to make sure that we'remaking those same adjustments
for women.
Any sort of amenity that isbeing asked for men, those
amenities will be a part of theplan for women as well, even
(16:41):
down to views, making sure thatthe views out of the facility
are as equal as we can make them.
So, yeah, it's a big deal.
It's always a part of theconversation and we take it
seriously.
Craig Peterson (16:55):
Yeah, and maybe to just touch on equity in
general, I think the environment, the quality, the impact of the
space can have a tremendousimpact.
You know, can really affect astudent's impression of the
space.
I mean, we talked a little bitabout this in recruiting in
terms of you know that firstimpression For a student athlete
, you want them to walk in andsay, oh man, I can see myself
(17:20):
succeeding here, I can seemyself contributing to a team
that is going to winchampionships, the facilities
are going to support this asexciting space, et cetera, et
cetera.
First for a student, you youmight say that the you would
like the impression to be I cansee myself here, I can see
myself in this space and itfeels comfortable to me, and so
design can have an impact inthat, in that way.
Kyle Lunke (17:42):
As it relates to equity and inclusion.
I also think you know you getthe.
You have the three big sports,uh, football, basketball and,
especially in this region in theMidwest here, hockey.
They're the sports that aregenerating a lot of revenue, so
they do get a lot of attention.
But it's also important to makesure that other sports programs
(18:03):
are getting attention as well.
A lot of institutions willspend a great deal of money on
the three big sports, but alsoon all the other sports as well,
and creating a facility whereall can feel included, like I
think of what we did at AthletesVillage for the University of
Minnesota, and creating what iscalled the Center for Excellence
(18:26):
.
That's for all student athletes, and so there's a big cafeteria
, servery, dining hall that isused by all, dining hall that is
used by all a bunch of studyspaces, offices, multi-use
(18:47):
spaces that can be used by allstudent-athletes, not just the
big three right?
Matthew Gerstner (18:48):
Are there any trends or innovations you're
seeing within regard to athleticspaces in general?
Kyle Lunke (18:51):
as far as design goes, I don't know if this is a
new trend, but it's a trend thatjust continues to build and
build and build, and that istechnology integration, a lot of
different tools out there,training tools as it relates to
virtual reality for both thecoaching staff but also for
athletes during practice.
That's one that I wanted tobring up, because you just
(19:12):
continued to talk on how to makethe facility the best that it
can be when it comes totechnology integration and just
having an overall immersiveexperience for its users in the
building and also open it up tothe community.
These multi-use spaces andbeing able to open up the doors
and have the community come in,that's big, it's a benefit to
(19:36):
the community and it's also abenefit to the athletic programs
.
Craig Peterson (19:41):
I might add to a couple of things I don't I
don't know if you'd technicallycall them trends maybe more,
more expectations with a lenstoward the student One.
One of these would be the, theexpectation of the quality of
the space, and I'm thinking alot of, like the cardio or
strengths wellness spacedaylight views, high ceilings, a
place that not only you want tobe but you're there and
(20:03):
connecting with other people.
It's a place to gather.
I think we've been.
I can think of severalinstances where we've been
called into for projects and wetake a tour and we go to the
existing, you know, weight roomor cardio or strength facility
and it's in a windowless spacein the basement and frankly,
it's not a place anyone wants tobe.
Even if you're committed tobeing in shape, let's say you
(20:25):
just don't want to be there.
So I think that's one thingthat's always at the forefront.
The other would be too, I thinkthe acknowledgement which is an
acknowledgement both of thewellness program that
institutions might run, but itis impactful through the
facility as well is thatacknowledging.
There are many ways to beactive.
You know, it isn't just liftingweights or being on a treadmill
(20:48):
or on a running track.
You have a wide, you know, forexample, an array of studios
that provide different waysagain to be active, just as one
example.
So I think a lot of times thefacilities are being asked to do
a lot, and that's a good thing.
Matthew Gerstner (21:03):
There are a lot of great things in there
that I heard and the use oftechnology, the design and use
of daylight.
You're talking about a fewthings here that, if you're
opening it up to other classesbeing able to use spaces, you're
talking about offsetting thecost of some of these resources
in a lot of ways and makingthose dollars go further.
(21:24):
So that's just huge.
I mean, that's fantastic foreverybody.
So we have hit on a lot ofdifferent things today, but is
there anything that you canthink of that we haven't touched
on, that you might want to talkabout?
Craig Peterson (21:40):
I think it's.
Another interesting aspect ofthe design of athletic
facilities is simply thearchitecture of the athletic
facility.
You know how does the facilitylook and feel, and that goes for
the exterior, interior, all ofthat.
But it's really, I think, aunique design challenge or
opportunity.
When we talk about higher ed,because we have a campus, we
(22:00):
have a campus context, we have aseries of buildings and outdoor
spaces that are intertwined andintegrated with each other to
create an overall sense of place.
That is really, really criticalto the experience of the
institution.
And so when we talk aboutathletic facilities, it's really
critical to think about howdoes this building then
(22:22):
integrate with the campus sothat it feels like it's a fit,
that it's contributing to theother spaces and buildings.
And it can be a uniquechallenge because a lot of times
these buildings are really bigbuildings, the footprints are
large, the scale becomes aquestion.
These are facilities that aregoverned by courts and fields of
finite dimensions and shapes,and so there's parameters that
(22:46):
are well-established.
You can't have a football fieldthat is 120 yards long and 30
yards wide.
That's not going to work, youhave to work with the parameters
that exist, but then find waysto make the building feel like
it fits.
And it goes a couple differentways too, when you think about
(23:09):
large-scale campuses, where thelife of the campus oftentimes is
composed of districts, and sothere's an athletic district.
Well, then the question becomesis the new facility
contributing to the identity ofthe district, or is it still
able to create, and is it stillable to create, a tie back to
the overall campus, whereasother times there's there's
facilities, you know, that arejust right there at the heart of
(23:30):
campus, and so then the way inwhich that building integrates
and plays off of the surroundingbuildings becomes even more
critical.
So I mean, it's super fun.
These are great.
These are great challenges,design challenges that are
become questions that need to beasked and addressed in the
design process.
Kyle Lunke (23:49):
You know one.
One thing that comes to mind isjust the sheer size of some of
these athletes.
We created a space for theoffense and defensive linemen
for u of m football, and evendown to how are the seats
attached to the floor?
Because, to be honest, theseare, these are big people.
(24:11):
All right, 300 plus pounds, six, six, six, seven.
And sometimes there's some somerough housing that goes on
right in these rooms and you gotto make sure that those seats
are are anchored down properly.
So those tiers, the floor ofthose tiers, were made of I use
three layers of staggered tongueand groove plywood that is
(24:35):
anchored down and that thoseanchors now have more of a bite
to it.
So these seats are not goinganywhere.
Craig Peterson (24:42):
Another key element of athletic facilities,
you know, in higher ed, is theintegration of the visual
branding, whether that's teamcolors or logos or themes that
appear, and I think oftentimesthink of that as just visual,
you know, add on kind of, butit's messaging and it's an
identity, reinforce the ideathat that I am a part of a
(25:04):
bigger thing.
You know, and specifically togame day experience, it's about
bringing and raising the levelof enthusiasm and inspiration
and all kinds of things.
But even on a day to day basis,walking into the facility and
being reminded or inspired bysomething, you see, we get
involved in that application ofdesign into these facilities as
(25:25):
well and it's also an incrediblyimpactful element of these
buildings.
Matthew Gerstner (25:31):
This has been a great conversation.
It's probably gonna spark a lotof questions for some of our
listeners and maybe give themsome ideas of what this kind of
space can be and what it can dofor the campuses that that
they're on.
Thank you all.
Thanks, matt, thank you, man.
This has been side of designfrom bwbr, brought to you
without any paid advertisementsor commercials.
(25:53):
If you found value in whatyou've heard today, give us us a
like, leave us a comment or,better yet, share us with your
network.
You can also reach out to us ifyou'd like to share an idea for
a show or start a discussion.
Email us at sideofdesign atbwbrcom.
Yo.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!