Sasaki
The building will be home to a 50-meter pool, a 200-meter track, a three court gymnasium, an ice arena, nine squash courts, 13,000 square-feet of strength and conditioning, an erg room, as well as associates support programs including locker rooms, sports medicine, and offices
Sasaki is teamed with Hopkins Architects for the design and implementation of the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. The approximately 350,000 SF facility—the largest building project in Maine at the time of construction—will put the college at the forefront of Division III athletics, as a leader in athletics facility program, quality, and performance.
The new building and surrounding landscape will become the new epicenter for athletics, recreation, health & wellness on campus. This facility, to open in 2020, is home to a range of program types and venues, including a multi-purpose field house (containing an indoor track and tennis courts), ice arena, Â 50-meter pool, competition gymnasium, squash courts, strength and fitness center, climbing wall, multipurpose spaces, locker rooms, sports medicine facilities, offices, and outdoor amenities.
The building and surrounding site aspire to be LEED Gold and first SITES certified building in the State of Maine
The project is part of a larger effort of Colby’s to improve the competitive results of its intercollegiate athletics’ programs, promote and encourage a healthy campus, and deepen its connection to the local community and region. The new facility is sited on land formerly occupied by playing fields at the campus’ western side and provides a new campus gateway. The playing fields were relocated and upgraded to enhance the campus athletics district.
Carefully designed for an abundance of light and no glare, the natatorium is arguably the gem of the entire facility
The proposed design for the ice arena
The athletics master plan
First floor programmatic plan
Second floor programmatic plan
Third floor programmatic plan
First floor programmatic plan
Second floor programmatic plan
Third floor programmatic plan
The college is one of the leading sustainable environments in the country, and is one of only four to achieve carbon neutrality.  Core sustainability principles related to indoor air quality, daylight and views, thermal comfort and building performance are seamlessly integrated into the building and site design to meet project goals related to health, wellness and optimal performance of body and mind. The project is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification and will be the first SITES certified project in Maine.
At this scale, even with a tight program layout, the voluminous venues and adjacent spaces require a vast area of exterior cladding to enclose. Large programs like these can too often result in “big metal box designs,” but the design and construction team had higher aspirations for this project. Through innovative approaches to facade design the team achieved that ideal outcome of elevated aesthetics, high performance, good value, and timely delivery—ultimately expanding the possibilities for the humble insulated metal panel, which is ubiquitous to sports facility design.
A two-story lounge space connects the various programmatic elements together, creating a laid back environment for students and student athletes alike to enjoy the space together
A rendering of the squash courts
The new approach to installation allows horizontal datum lines to be continuously integrated throughout the entire interior and exterior design, lending subtle elegance and cohesion to the building’s expression
For more information contact Chris Sgarzi.
A team led by Sasaki and Hopkins Architects worked with their client at Colby College to develop an entirely new way of utilizing insulated metal panels to more efficiently and beautifully construct a new 350,000 SF Athletic Complex
The design of Colby College Athletics Center, a 350,000 SF new facility opening in 2020, leads in carbon reduction and cost savings for the client
