Brown University selects design architect for new indoor athletic complex

Brown University recently announced its selection of Sasaki, an integrated architecture, planning, landscape and design firm, as the design architect for its new indoor athletic complex.

Since its sports practice was established in the early 1990s, the firm has worked on the programming and design of sports facilities for a range of academic institutions, including projects on multiple Ivy League campuses. Bill Massey leads Sasaki’s sports practice and will serve as principal-in-charge for the firm’s project team for the indoor turf facility at Brown.

“This project offers a wonderful opportunity to marry our appreciation for campus placemaking with our sports design expertise to create a one-of-a-kind high-performance training venue in support of Brown’s student-athletes and the campus community as a whole,” Massey said. “We’re excited to design a new facility that Brown has established as a key project for the long-term planning of this active campus district, and we’re thrilled to partner with Brown and (lead project contractor) Consigli Construction.”

Working with teams in the Brown athletics and facilities management departments, Sasaki will lead the design of a 76,000-square-foot facility, that, as envisioned, will replace Meister-Kavan Field. The new indoor facility will feature a turf playing surface, an entry lobby, restrooms and space for equipment storage. According to the university, this will address a lack of indoor training space for its sports teams in the face of harsh Rhode Island winters.

Construction for the indoor turf facility is targeted to begin in Summer 2024 and last approximately 18 months, with the building estimated to open in time for the Spring 2026 athletics season. The University expects the project to be funded in its entirety by donors.