Valley Road & Grimes Way Playfields - Washington State University

Pullman, Wash.
Construction Cost: $8.5 million
Occupancy Date: June 2011

This project included work on two separate areas of the campus to improve and expand the playing fields for recreational programming. The project included the renovation and conversion of more than 450,000 square feet of natural grass to multipurpose synthetic turf at two locations, the Valley Road and Grimes Way playfields. Spaces were designed with a layout that could accommodate multiple year-round activities for recreational, intramurals and club sports play.

The Valley Road Playfield accommodates seven sports, including softball, soccer, lacrosse, rugby and flag football. The synthetic turf surface includes color-coded reference points to allow for the efficient use of removable painted markings for each sport or activity, and features a supplemental shock pad system to provide enhanced impact absorption and safety.

In order to provide field slopes that do not exceed 1.0 percent, the grading design included the development of two terraces for the fields. The terracing provides an elevated plaza that includes covered seating areas and boasts extensive use of porous concrete to take advantage of the underlying permeable fill materials and drainage systems — thereby eliminating the need for surface water collection.