Dashers, Nets Contain Errant Basketballs

Containment of errant basketballs and the like is achieved using a variety of materials (typically glass or netting) or by creating obstacles that can be used for other purposes (steps that serve as bench seating). This low-priced option at Leduc (Alta.) Recreation Centre extends the look of the lower floor's multipurpose activity courts with a perimeter pony wall and so-called "ball lock" fashioned from rink dasherboard materials. Design firm Architecture | Arndt Tkalcic Bengert of Edmonton, Alta., topped the 3-foot-tall boards with a red-painted cap that matches the walls of the adjacent MAC, and then extended netting all the way to the ceiling three stories up, with the exception of a small cutout above the multiwalled entry. The combination serves to keep things looking open and airy, while providing protective separation between the court and users of the concourse, fitness center and jogging track.