The bold design complements the existing traditional campus architecture, signaling a new chapter for Colby athletics and recreation. The center is another example of the College’s ongoing commitment to excellence, and is one in a series of investments to create and support best-in-class programs that set it apart as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

“Designing an athletics complex of this scale and with very particular specifications for interior venues often results in a utilitarian structure,” said Colby President David A. Greene.  “With Hopkins Architects in the lead for design and Sasaki as the executive architect, this project is crisp and welcoming in its design, light-filled and open in its presentation, and carefully considered in every detail to make for an exceptional experience for each and every member of the Colby community. “Its striking, contemporary exterior, marked by outstanding choices of materials and an innovative, sustainable landscape, creates a rich dialogue with its adjacent Neo-Georgian campus.”  

This facility is home to a range of program types and venues, including a multi-use field house (containing an indoor track, tennis courts and a climbing wall), ice arena, the only Olympic-sized pool in the state of Maine, a competition gymnasium for basketball and volleyball, squash courts, a strength and fitness center, studios, as well as multipurpose spaces, locker rooms, sports medicine facilities, offices, support spaces, and outdoor amenities.

The entrance invites visitors into a lobby that opens up the heart of the building and unifies around a common source of natural light and long viewsheds, functioning as a central crossroads for the new center. The entire three-floor building design is deliberately transparent to maximize views into venues and to intuitively articulate the building’s organization — conveying a sense of intimacy despite its expansive scale. 

Andy Barnett, Principal at Hopkins Architects said, “We hope that the new building will be enjoyed as one created for the entire College community, both fitting into and boldly extending the College campus and its landscape and, out of these considerations, creating a celebratory new space for athletics for all.”

The building is tracking toward a LEED Gold certification — almost unheard of in large-scale sports facility design. Working closely with the client and consultants, the Hopkins-Sasaki team and Arup as structural engineer reviewed every assumption and took every opportunity to seek out ways to optimize resources, minimize embodied carbon, reduce energy and water use, and reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. The facility will also be one of the first SITES projects in the state of Maine. The site design by MVVA integrates the large form seamlessly into the surrounding athletics district, integrating the large building as a natural addition to campus. 

“We are extremely proud to see the Colby community embrace the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center. This uniquely comprehensive facility is efficiently arranged and clearly organized with an emphasis on daylight and openness,” says Sasaki principal, Chris Sgarzi, AIA. “It provides access and resources for everyone on campus to expand their educational experience with an emphasis on well-being, while fully supporting Colby athletics as an integral part of the campus culture.”

The beautiful building and site in concert are a testament to the team approach which included intrinsic collaboration from a wide list of Colby stakeholders, Consigli as the construction manager, and the design teams led by Hopkins, Sasaki, MVVA, and Arup.