Virginia Tech Indoor Athletic Training Facility – Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA
Construction Cost: $18.2 million
Area / Square Feet: 91,600
Occupancy Date: June 2015

The new Indoor Athletic Training Facility (IATF) serves as an instrumental asset in expanding Virginia Tech’s core brand while supporting the university’s mission, spirit and philosophy. The primary space houses a synthetic indoor field striped for football with an 85-foot clearance height to allow for special-teams practice.

Symbiotic with the need for an extremely functional and cost-effective design solution, the design aesthetic captures the essence of the Virginia Tech campus and embodies a sense of permanence. Hokie Stone grounds the facility, while its pronounced corners are clad in precast concrete. A continuous translucent clerestory on all sides provides a transition to the barrel-vaulted standing-seam metal roof, infuses natural ambient light and reduces artificial lighting demands. Platforms for coaches and videographers provide views to both indoor and outdoor activities. 

The west facade, composed mostly of a translucent panel assembly, portrays a light veil against eight distinct structural load-bearing piers inspired by the pylons at Memorial Court above the War Memorial Chapel. The eight virtues indicated on the pylons — Brotherhood, Leadership, Loyalty, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Service, Sacrifice, Honor and Duty — serve as the foundation for an abstract interpretation that connects with both university and football team missions.