Athletics is core to campus life at Thomas College, with student-athletes comprising 40% of the student body. The Sukeforth Family Sports Center is the first phase of a multibuilding sports complex and serves as the athletic department’s hub. The building includes a strength and conditioning center, an athletic training room, a varsity esports cave, equipment storage, laundry amenities, and locker rooms designed to promote equitable experiences across genders and sports.
The student population and the public can enjoy the light-filled, celebratory reception area, featuring a Hall of Fame wall and a spectator area overlooking the athletic fields. A school-branded tunnel leads from the locker rooms to the competition fields, featuring a statue of the school mascot. The center supports the school’s culture with experiential graphics and school branding, an important design driver throughout the building.
At Thomas College, recruiting and retaining coaching and administrative staff is just as important as recruiting players. Providing a top-tier office suite for coaches and staff was a key program requirement and is a differentiator within the college’s conference. Private offices with floor-to-ceiling glass walls maximize natural daylight and allow uninterrupted views of the athletic fields. Strategically located frosted film on the windows provides privacy from the corridors.
Since this project is the first phase of the larger athletic complex, architects coordinated with the overall athletic master plan while designing the campus-wide, medium-voltage (12,470-volt) electrical distribution system extension. Load analysis confirmed that existing circuits could handle the new building and future expansions.
Architect of Record
SMRT Architects & Engineers
Portland, Maine
Suppliers
Port Coquitlam Community Centre
