The next point of view is written by Mark Lootz, Vice President in the Skanska USA building, New England Region
As we crown a new champion in both the NHL and the NBA, and the baseball season reaches its full advantage, fans throughout the country fill the stands of some of the most electrifying sports places in the north -East. These stages and arenes make a huge amount of effort to bring life to life, which often goes unnoticed. They are not just fundamental fabrics for competition, but deeply complex construction projects that must meet the evolution of current athletes, athletics departments and local communities. Through my work with Skanska, I have seen first -hand how the construction of collegial and professional sport has become one of the most demanding and rewarding in the industry.
Each of our projects has reflected not only Skanska’s commitment to the community and innovation, but also with the changes in the industry in the way these sites and the evolutionary priorities of our clients are built. Stadiums and stages are symbols of school pride, local identity and a strong community, which is provided at a level of pressure when building or preserving a installation that will become a part of everyday life, but of its history. This is especially true in New England, which is known worldwide for its stadiums, schools and athletic programs. The expectations located at athletic facilities today are much larger than even a decade ago.
For professional sports teams, the demands are even stronger. These facilities are vehicles through which they can maximize income through flexible seats and sponsorship, guarantee the comfort and accessibility of fan and integrate with the latest building technology.
Gillette Stadium is a badge of the New England Patriots and houses 68,000 fans, it is a badge of New England sports culture, as well as the creative solutions of Skanska. We value the founding of the stadium to eliminate the value of millions of dollars to accumulate from the east side of the stadium, building the stage at the diffusion feet. The plans of structured seats for the lower bowl of the west side were changed to a simple slab to the degree, saving millions in the costs of the excavation and the prefabricated structure.
Skanska also served as projects in the city of Worcester for the design and construction of a $ 145 million polar stadium, of 10,000 places, Polar Park, which is now the new home of the Worcester Red Sox, the triple subsidiary of Boston Red Sox. Conceived as a catalyst for the redevelopment of the Worcester Channel District, Ballpark is located in an old industrial site and uses the surrounding topography to create unique seats and views of the adjacent development sites. The creation of a state -of -the -art professional sports stadium in this environment involved many challenges for the team, such as a limited footprint available for the Ball Park, the demolition of existing buildings, addressing the slope of the site and managing the elimination of more than 190,000 cubic floor gardens.
As for collegiate teams, they not only compete in the field; They also compete when it comes to athletic recruitment, withholding and brand. Therefore, it is expected that training facilities, changing rooms and well -being spaces will be state -of -the -art, included in services and systems that will attract new talent and offer a unique experience for athletes.
At the collegiate level, we were responsible for the implementation of dehumidification and life safety systems at Matthews Arena at the University of Northeastern, which involved the installation of temporary dehumidification units that were then replaced by a permanent installation and presented dried dehumidification wheels; a total energy recovery wheel; a natural gas oven; and a coil of cooling of glycol refrigerated water. In addition, the scope of the project incorporated a new state -of -the -art audio system for the highest sound and installed a new state -of -the -art score Jumbo throne and perimeter marker tapes. These improvements and additions have raised the viewer’s experience and created a dynamic play environment for the northern respected hockey team.
In addition to creating a better class experience for athletes and fans, there has been a focus more on the sustainability and integration of the community for these places. Many athletic departments ask how they can build a facility that not only fulfills performance goals, but also contributes to the social and environmental goals of their campus or the city.
Another example is our work in the new field house and the hockey court at Deerfield Academy, a Leed Gold project, which was an expansion and renewal of the athletic complex of private school. Skanska demolished the original hockey court, transferred the underground public services, and carried out substantial place work such as deep excavations, links and links, based on a new landscape on the north side of the existing western gym. A new boiler room, a refrigerator plant and an emergency generator throughout the Deerfield Academy campus, were added, and existing areas were renewed in the complex as the boys’ hockey dressing room, the struggle room and the circulation spaces. Skanska also built a new hockey court with a 200 ‘x 85’ ice leaf, with spectators seats for 400 people, a Zamboni room and mechanical spaces.
Building sports places is not just a matter of hitting goals and being in the calendar. It is about understanding who these buildings are: athletes who train throughout the year, fans who devote their valuable time and money supporting their favorite teams and the communities that have helped build the electric atmosphere that these teams keep in operation. The logistics complex is high, but as are emotional bets, which makes these types of projects special.
Grab our construction of the Belmont Municipal Skating Track. The scope of the project involves demolishing the Viglirolo skating rink over 50 years old, a key aspect of the local community of Belmont and the construction of a new track, which is a metal building pre-designed with a steel frame with a conventional ice leaf of 200 ‘x 85’. The project team is also responsible for building four team changing rooms and four general dressing rooms; Blanquadors and a concession stand; His time and energy to turn the track into an iconic part of Belmont’s history.
I have been fortunate enough to work on some of the most recognized athletic facilities in New England both at the collegiate and professional level, and each has strengthened a key truth: the success in the construction of sports facilities is more than delivering a building. It is to help institutions achieve their goals, whether it be championships, increase registration or anchor community development. The sports world can continue to evolve, but the nucleus of our work in Skanska is still the same: to build spaces that join the people and serve as a home for fans and athletes to create unforgettable moments that will be the test of time.
Mark Lootz’s The construction degree started 40 years ago as a cooperative student at the University of Massachusetts. Throughout his term in the construction industry, he has occupied numerous field management and project management positions, giving him a practical knowledge of the construction process. The Lootz experience includes the responsibility of large -scale construction projects with quality interior finishes in various sectors, including the commercial, educational, healthcare market and the sports and recreation market. Lootz has also been an advisor to Skanska’s hockey track projects at Midatlantic.
