The College is planning a long-term and near-complete rebuilding of its athletics facilities.
A 2024 study conducted by the architectural design consultancy firm Perkins&Will on the College’s spaces for athletics found that many facilities lack sufficient space for current programming and fall short of current energy and building codes, according to the firm’s final report, which it released in April.
The preliminary plans include a new ice rink, pool, gym, and squash courts along with a fitness and recreation facility along Latham and Meacham Streets. Some of the new buildings, if the preliminary plan stands, would be constructed on a site currently occupied by the Facilities Services building, which the College hopes to rebuild on the dirt parking lot behind Driscoll.
The College is currently in the process of selecting an architectural firm for the project and intends to begin design work in June that is expected to be finished by the summer of 2028, Associate Vice President for Campus Planning and Operations Mina Amundsen, Dean of the Faculty Lara Shore-Sheppard, and Director of Athletics, Recreation, and Physical Education Lisa Melendy wrote in a joint statement to the Record.
In the initial study on the athletics facilities, Perkins&Will collaborated with the College’s Facilities and Planning, Design, and Construction teams to examine the condition of the athletics facilities and conducted outreach to students, athletes, coaches, and faculty for feedback on those spaces.
One common problem across current spaces is overbooking, and insufficient space has led to issues scheduling athletic practices, Amundsen, Shore-Sheppard, and Melendy wrote.
The College plans to build a new athletic complex that would replace those spaces, while allowing the current facilities to remain in use during the new spaces’ construction. The proposed facilities would support PE classes, varsity teams, intramural and club sports, and other athletic programming while providing adequate room for spectators.
According to Amundsen, Shore-Sheppard, and Melendy, the tight layout of existing facilities necessitates the construction of new buildings, instead of renovating the current ones. “Right-sizing the facilities and building systems for current program needs, future flexibility, and improved accessibility requires significant additional space, which is not possible in the current tightly connected configuration of the buildings,” they wrote.
Aside from space constraints, the study identified another reason for upgrades: the existing facilities’ aging heating and cooling systems. The study revealed a pressing need to replace these systems with more modern, energy-efficient alternatives in order to meet current standards for ventilation, temperature, and humidity control.
These newer systems would also contribute to the College’s broader sustainability efforts by improving its overall energy efficiency, according to Amundsen, Shore-Sheppard, and Melendy. They would also continue other sustainability initiatives in athletic buildings on campus, such as the approval of plans to install an array of solar panels on the roof of the new Multipurpose Recreation Center (MRC).
This latest design project has grown out of the College’s 2021 Strategic Plan, which identified the need to replace the field house and invest in its athletics and recreation facilities. Since then, the unexpected closure of Towne Field House in spring 2023 prompted the construction of the MRC, which opened this year and hosts varsity, intramural, and club sports.
Moving forward, the College’s Development Office is planning a fundraising campaign to support these large-scale changes. The investment in athletics reflects a broader trend across higher education, in which institutions are pouring money into athletics and recreational facilities to attract students and enhance campus life.
The College is also preparing to work with the Design Review Committee and the Committee on Priorities and Resources to finalize plans. “Committees will be formed specifically to focus on the design and construction of the complex, and will include students, faculty, and staff,” Amundsen, Shore-Sheppard, and Melendy wrote. “Additional outreach will include input from students, faculty and staff throughout the design process.”
A summary of the program study guiding the renewal will be released by the College soon, Shore-Sheppard wrote in an email to the Record.
