Middlebury College Squash Center

Middlebury, VT
Construction Cost: $6.5 million
Area / Square Feet: 17,775
Occupancy Date: October 2013

The new Middlebury College Squash Center replaces a temporary air-supported structure housing five squash courts, but lacking team program space and the ability to host tournaments. The new facility is directly linked to the school’s current athletic complex and features nine international-size courts, tiered spectator seating, a fitness area, a coach’s office and an entry lobby.

Sustainable design started with the strategic integration of the five existing courts into the new building. The entire spectator area is illuminated though a large central light well that, while topped with a skylight, also has a layer of diffusing horizontal glass. To ensure that not even changing lighting conditions from the exterior cause distraction to players, a combination of LED lighting, daylight color matching and dimming was implemented.

A combination of exterior materials, such as high-density cement fiberboard finished with multiple textures and a board-formed concrete base, help make connections to the granite and marble of Middlebury’s history.