Clemson University has opened its new football operations complex. HOK’s Sports + Recreation + Entertainment group designed the US$55m facility, with GMC serving as the architect of record and DPR as the contractor. The training facility for the national champion Clemson Tigers will be the USA’s largest, most programmatically inclusive football training complex.
“Clemson Football has set the new standard for the student-athlete experience,” said Trevor Bechtold, a project designer and associate with HOK. “This project is the most forward-looking, innovative and comprehensive training facility in the nation and is a testament to Clemson’s commitment to excellence. The design balances Clemson’s focus on football, family and fun, through a comfortable, amenity-rich and highly efficient design tailored to the student-athlete.”
The 150,000ft² training facility includes amenities that allow student-athletes to train, study and unwind without leaving the building. Features include 1.5 acres of outdoor leisure and entertainment space, state-of-the-art training, weight equipment, technology, and hydrotherapy. Additional amenities include miniature golf, bowling, a movie theater, gaming lounge, steam room, recovery room, a Gatorade fuel bar, a Nike gear room, and basketball, volleyball and bocce ball courts.
The building connects the indoor practice facility to outdoor practice fields, consolidating football operations into one complex. A central player concourse allows users to move efficiently through the building to maximize valuable training time. A slide connecting the concourse to the lobby reinforces head coach Dabo Swinney’s focus on fun.
The facility includes a special spot for the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship trophy. Graphics and interactive displays throughout the facility highlight many other accomplishments in the football program’s storied history.
February 8, 2016
