Our Capabilities

 Design Consulting

SportsPLAN Studio specializes in planning and design of sports and recreation facilities nationwide, primarily as consultants to design professionals, colleges, universities, school districts and communities. Focused on sports for nearly 30 years, first as architects, now as consultants, we provide expertise to clients involved in the planning, design and operation of athletics, recreation and sports projects, working with multiple client groups in defining and distilling diverse goals and visions to create design concepts tailored to our clients’ visions.

Our principals have had the privilege and opportunity to provide sports design expertise to such renowned architects as Rafael Viñoly, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, Sasaki Associates, ROMA, and The Office of Peter Rose.

 Equipment Planning

As strength training, fitness and conditioning is arguably the single most important component of most athletic training and recreation facilities, the equipment included is of primary importance. With the number and variety of equipment providers, SportsPLAN Studio offers a systematic approach to maximizing available space, selecting appropriate equipment and arranging the space to best serve users.

 Event Planning

Integration of the functional requirements, the key aesthetic objectives and the long-term performance criteria is the primary goal of building. Architecture, whether academic or athletic in its function, is not successful if the result does not demonstrate harmony among the functional, operational, aesthetic and contextual aspects of the project. The activities of the spectators, athletes, officials, press and broadcasters, operations staff and management are assessed in detail to design functional solutions to such problems as transportation logistics, access control and athlete security.

 Existing Facility Audit

Over the life of the building, the cost to operate a center will likely cost eight to ten times the cost of construction. Our process and the products of our work address the opportunities to minimize operational costs while maximizing recreation and sporting opportunities. SportsPLAN Studio analyzes the life cycle benefits versus first cost for equipment and building systems and recommends design solutions that will minimize those costs while delivering the highest standards of performance for building users. Our process emphasizes communication and other tools we have developed which are designed to effectively convey ideas and information to ensure understanding by all participants in the process.

 Feasibility Studies

A feasibility study is the first step to a successful new facility. Our feasibility studies determine the viability of the idea before you proceed with funding and design. Our clients appreciate this important‚up front service that allows them to identify, frame, research, and discuss the variety of available options. We can help present these ideas to funding sources, board members, and other stakeholders. We highly recommend beginning with this step, so that any problems with the plan can be determined before it is executed, saving valuable time and money later. Feasibility studies can include many different components including market analysis, demographic analysis, study and development, economic analysis, funding options, partnership opportunities and public interest. We can start today on your plan!

 Master Planning

Master Planning is critical to successful programs and facilities as a roadmap into the future. Investment in these early planning efforts significantly improves planning, design, fundraising and execution of facilities in service of the institutional objectives and vision.

 Operational Planning

Over the useful life of buildings, our clients will likely commit eight to ten times more funding on staffing and operations than they invest in the original construction. At SportsPLAN Studio, we concern ourselves with physical planning as a means to simplify the work of future program staff, instructors and facility managers and maintenance personnel. We approach our planning work with a unique perspective, from the initial concept diagrams to the detailing of a truly functional reception/control desk, we understand that our success is built by the success of our clients.

 Needs Assessment

The SportsPLAN Studio approach is interactive and inclusive to ensure that the needs and interests of all constituencies to be served are included in the planning process. Building users, representatives of special interests, disabled persons, the community, professional staff including administrators, recreation staff, center management and maintenance staff are important contributors to the needs assessment process. It is essential to understand all performance criteria for proposed facilities and to solicit and gather input from persons representing a wide range of interests.

In addition to asking the “right” questions to identify and validate program needs, the assessment process must also educate. As full time sports and recreational programmers working throughout the country, the staff of SportsPLAN Studio studies and stays abreast with trends in the field, maintains a national database and conducts extensive research regarding recreational programs, equipment and systems performance. We bring this information and experience to the planning process to encourage decisions that will meet the client’s needs, now and into the future.

 Outdoor Facilities

SportsPLAN Studio has several years experience with irrigated natural grass playing fields, including sand-based and sand-capped grass systems with and without fiber reinforcement. Also experienced with the design and specification of synthetic turf products, SportsPLAN Studio has designed and specified dozens of synthetic turf sports fields for many collegiate and municipal clients. The unique performance requirements of each project require special attention and, we are fully prepared to assist our clients in an evaluation of the many alternatives for playing fields for recreation, competition and practice.

The visibility of stadium and athletic facilities requires a sensibility to the urban and campus context, civic spirit and cultural philosophy regarding sport. Often symbols with which citizens, students, alumni and visitors identify, stadia provide the venues for creating personal memories of the sports experience. The quality of the architecture and the convenience of the event experience either add to or detract from these experiences. At SportsPLAN Studio, we immerse ourselves in the functional details and unique features that distinguish successful sports venues.

 Space Programming

The SportsPLAN Studio approach to programming is interactive and inclusive to ensure that the needs and interests of all constituencies to be served are included in the planning process. Asking the “right” questions to identify and validate program needs, educating as to trends in the field, we bring this information and experience to the planning process to encourage program decisions that will meet client needs, now and into the future.

 Space Utilization Analysis

SportsPLAN Studio is committed to maximizing the resources of our clients, specifically space, funding, operational expense and personnel. Careful analysis of current space utilization requires clear understanding of operations and provides the opportunity to assess policies, operational approach and necessary space for evolving programs. It can be invaluable in expanding use of existing space allocations.

 Technical Specifications

We prepare performance standards, design/build criteria and bid specifications to ensure functionality and create lasting value for our clients. We specify the particular building materials, finishes and equipment unique to sports facilities such as:

• artificial turf
• tennis courts and track surfaces
• gymnasium flooring
• fitness and weight room flooring
• gymnasium equipment
• lockers
• scoreboards
• sports field equipment
• spectator seating