Jacob Vagts with S/L/A/M Collaborative talk with Shield Lockers about the impact of COVID-19 on sports architecture
What are the long-term effects on sports venues and athletic facilities on the other side of this pandemic? There’s a lot of speculation and ideas gaining momentum as to where design could or should go as we begin to emerge from this complex crisis.
Shield Lockers recently had a conversation on this topic with one of S/L/A/M Collaborative’s sports design leaders. Jacob Vagts is a lead designer for SLAM’s sports group and led the design for some of the firm’s marquee projects including West Virginia’s Puskar Center expansion, University of Arkansas’ Student-Athlete Success Center, and Troy University’s North End Zone expansion.
SLAM recently acquired Heery Design’s sports studio, including their portfolio of 300+ sports projects on over 100 campuses. SLAM, prior to the Heery acquisition, has also headed up well-known projects around the country, including University of Notre Dame’s Campus Crossroads and Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Harford, CT.
Here’s what Vagts has to say in response to the impact of COVID-19 on sports architecture.
Health and wellness in athletic venues and facilities
“For us, the pandemic hasn’t really changed our priorities, but rather bolstered them.” says Vagts. “We continue to focus on player wellness and bringing medical technology into the recovery process. Recently, we’ve put more emphasis on the post-practice recovery sequence and maintaining a more hygienic locker room. Many programs are beginning to incorporate “mudroom” spaces, and our approach to separating the sequence of soiled, clean, and the other areas within the practice facility has helped to create healthier, cleaner environments for the players and staff. It’s creating an entirely new workflow for athletes and making sure they have the space needed to deliver the highest caliber effort on and off the field. One of the primary challenges is ensuring that the discipline is in place for adopting these new protocols.
Vagts’ initial focus was on the details of the mudroom lockers. “We’re developing systems that redirect wet gear away from traditional lockers with closed compartments. Even with open format mudroom lockers we work closely with our mechanical engineers to make sure return air volume is spread out evenly and is sufficient to get equipment dry.” Shield’s seamless, acrylic solid surface construction is virtually waterproof and microbial-resistant. It’s the perfect material for these types of areas for supporting health, wellness, and recovery goals.
In terms of overall layout, “the sequence of the facility begins with players coming in from practice and blowing off turf pellets, grass, and mud,” says Vagts. “They’ll then go through a mudroom to take off gear, pads, shoes, etc. before entering a deluge rinse and moving though therapy pools that help enhance the recovery process by cooling down the body. Players can then shower and enter the clean locker room. The goal is not only cleanliness but also optimizing the post-practice path to recovery. It’s essentially a car wash, but for athletes. It’s a very functional upgrade for teams who are looking to differentiate themselves in recruiting.”
The impact of COVID-19 on sports facilities design
“There is an eternal dialog between our clients and design teams,” says Vagts. “There’s a certain state of mind or level of expectation for fans inside of a stadium at a live sporting event. It’s important that we don’t overreact to the point we make going to a game uncomfortable. Think about something as simple as going back into the office or work environment. if there are strict protocols and they can’t interact with people like they used to then they may not go back. So how do you avoid similar outcomes in Athletics? We believe you have to do things to make people feel safe without making them feel uncomfortable, at least not so uncomfortable that it causes them to change their habits. There are temporary measures that must be enacted now that we would not foresee being permanent, but certain experiences that were uncomfortable before might be considered unacceptable after weathering the pandemic. That’s where I think you will see investment and change.”
Vagts reflects on post-9/11 security measures that at the time seemed intrusive and almost excessive. “For a while they were uncomfortable. After some time, people grew used to them and eventually just accepted them as a new normal. How do you slowly get people used to a process that helps achieve the security, health, and well-being goals you’re trying to achieve? We’re taking on a role of helping prepare folks for the new normal and balancing the rollout and adoption of these new standards over a period of time.”
Design trends to come
“At some older facilities, spaces are tight, the concessions are backed up, and the flow on the concourse is crammed,” says Vagts. “They’re not modernized, and they’re going to have a hard time integrating new best practices. When we’ve approached this problem in the past, we’ve focused on eliminating concourse cross traffic, widening concourses, bettering ratios for concessions, and designing directional traffic in large toilet rooms. We have also added more gates to reduce pre/post-game gridlock.”
“Stadiums that have modernized their infrastructure in these ways before COVID will have an easier time accommodating and adapting to new protocols. Although these venues may be better equipped to safely accommodate fans, new protocols require more staffing and operational coordination. We’ll see continued growth in the infrastructure to house all of those additional support services.”
Learn more about SLAM’s sports design expertise.
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