VCU Basketball Development Center

Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

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Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

Basketball Development Center The new Virginia Commonwealth University Basketball Development Center is designed as a place of pride and inspiration for players and coaches, as a source of amazement for fans and donors, and as an awe-inspiring point of reassurance for young recruits.

Located on West Marshall Street, north of the Siegel Center in downtown Richmond, the new Basketball Development Center provides both the men’s and women’s programs with state-of-the-art facilities in one 62,000 square foot, two-story building that aids in recruiting and player/team development. The building is at once fresh and also timeless – a comfortable place to play and work every day.

62,000 SQ.FT. FACILITY

24 HOUR PLAYER ACCESS

Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

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Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

A Dynamic + Open Program 7

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Women’s

Men’s

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Lobby

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Strength + Conditioning

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Court

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Training Room / Therapy

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Video Room

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Hydrotherapy

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Hydration Station

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Retail

Floor Plan - Level 1

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Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

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Women’s

Men’s

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Dining / Hub

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Laundry

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Video Editing

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Prep Kitchen

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Conference Room

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Offices / Assistant Coach

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Lounge

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Head Coach

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Coaches Locker Room

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Lockers

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Cubicles Floor Plan - Level 2

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Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

Engaging the Neighborhood Context The design celebrates the activities within the facility and strives to connect fans and passersby to the VCU Rams basketball programs. Clerestory lighting and expanses of translucent glass foster a sense of openness and fellowship with the surrounding campus community. Inside the facility, hubs of activity recall the vigorous momentum of the men’s and women’s basketball programs and relay this focused energy palpably to passersby.

The building is characterized by a strong roof line that unifies the various building elements and defines a block-long glass building volume. Smaller building elements ‘slide’ under this unifying roof and engage the glass volume, breaking down the building scale without denying daylighting through the primary glass clerestory. The facility works to function as a ‘good neighbor’ by maintaining a scale that is in keeping with the Carver neighborhood and by using brick book-ends where the glass and metal-shingle building faces older residential buildings.

“Clerestory lighting and expanses of translucent glass foster a sense of openness and fellowship with the surrounding campus community.”

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Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

“ For a recruit to come in and see the ‘wow factor,’ you see the building. Then you walk into the lobby and there’s another ‘wow factor.’ Then you go to the courts and go up in the team lounge and in the locker rooms — every turn it’s a ‘wow.’ You saw all the (pictures on the walls). We tell a great story in this building about both programs.”

Tim Lampe Director of Facilities and Siegel Center Operations Virginia Commonwealth University

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Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

Supporting the Student Athlete The basketball practice courts are the heart of the new facility and are available day and night for players and coaches to hone their craft. Not merely gymnasiums, the courts pulse with the vibrancy of the current programs while offering an unparalleled set of immediately-accessible amenities, including strength and conditioning rooms, physical therapy and hydrotherapy areas, and video viewing and editing rooms. Abundant transparency offers direct views to and from coaches’ offices, conference suites, lounges, and locker rooms which wrap the courts on the upper floor. Men’s and women’s sides are mirror images of each other, programmatically, while offering distinguishing finish selections.

The courts are conceived not only as ‘practice’ spaces, but simultaneously as ‘training’ and ‘education’ spaces. Dedicated zones outside the playing boundaries are able to accommodate aerobic and resistance training equipment as well as critical everyday equipment items such as basketball returns.

White boards and flexible SMART-type technologies ensure that video, game tape, and X’s and O’s are accessible at any time. Dedicated film rooms adjacent to the court offer the ability for teams to flow effortlessly from film room to practice floor without significant down-time.

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Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

“ I think one thing that separates (our facility) is a lot of people have practice gyms, but ours is an actual development center. We’ve got the latest in technology, state-of-the-art things that can not only help you become a better basketball player, but can develop parts of your body, can develop things for the rest of your life that you’ll need.”

Will Wade Men’s Basketball Head Coach Virginia Commonwealth University

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Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

Materiality Interior spaces resonate with the passion and energy of the VCU men’s and women’s basketball programs. In the lobby, main stair, and second floor dining area, a rich palette of terrazzo flooring, wood paneling, perforated metal, and glass provides a powerful backdrop for the VCU story conveyed throughout the facility. The second floor team areas transition to a more youthful architectural character, reflecting the contemporary materiality and aesthetics appealing to recruits and players.

Outside, the site is surrounded by an eclectic mix of buildings – old and new, publicly and privately owned. The building’s exterior materials have been selected to harmonize and unify the architectural language in the immediate vicinity, simultaneously conveying a sense of respect for context and an anticipation of great things to come.

Referencing the neighborhood context, red brick is vertically articulated on the east and west sides of the facility. Zinc tiles on the Marshall Street ‘bar’ evoke textures from mansarded buildings in the vicinity. Perforated metal sunshades are mounted vertically at southfacing windows to provide solar-shading and glare-control. Perforated metal is also utilized above the main entry, providing a dynamic and engaging focal point for arriving occupants and visitors.

Brick, glass, and slate wrap the ground floor retail and conference spaces – adding a sense of refinement and vibrancy to the pedestrian experience of the streetscape.

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Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

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Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

Innovative Delivery Method The team employed collaborative, problem-solving strategies to maximize the value of the design-build delivery method for the University and Athletics Department. In joining design and construction professionals in one seamless team, design-build delivery allows for the incorporation of important design features early in the process, producing savings in both time and dollars as coordination issues are resolved early in design as opposed to during construction. For the Basketball Development Center, streamlined coordination between the designer (VMDO) and contractor (Barton Malow Company) resulted in a thoughtfully situated building, featuring appropriately defined massing and program disposition.

Early problem-solving also ensured that sustainable features could be incorporated in the design while supporting the expediency and efficiency of design-build delivery. For instance, the facility’s simple, straight-forward massing takes into account the climate of the region in order to minimize energy loss and maximize money savings. North- and south-facing glass optimizes light levels and reduces the need for glare control devices.

Daylighting strategies and clerestory lighting were prioritized early on to ensure an open, lively space that communicates a sense of welcome to the community and an energetic vibrancy to the players and staff who inhabit it. The Basketball Development Center is LEED Gold certified.

Basketball Development Center Virginia Commonwealth University

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VMDO Architects vmdo.com | 434.296.5684 200 E Market St Charlottesville, VA 22902 1200 18th Street NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20036

For more information on Athletics work please contact: Joe Celentano, AIA, LEED AP celentano@vmdo.com Randy Livermon, AIA, LEED AP BD+C livermon@vmdo.com