Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Middlebury College: Virtue Field House and Athletic District Master Plan

  • 12/01/15
Middlebury College: Virtue Field House and Athletic District Master Plan

PHOTOS © JEREMY BITTERMAN

The virtue field house for Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT, is one of the most unique recreation, training and competition venues in collegiate athletics. This flexible facility replaces an outdated and uninspiring facility formerly called “the Bubble” with one that breaks away from field house precedents, featuring a 200-meter track, a technology-rich lobby that doubles as event space, and more than 20,000 square feet of athletic field turf to allow for year-round field practice.

Designed by Sasaki Associates, the Virtue Field House emphasizes flexibility and function. The 120,000-square-foot field house is now active at all times of day, every day of the week, alternately used by varsity athletes, general students, and residents from the town of Middlebury. It provides much needed indoor practice space, recreation space, a competition track, and improved spectator accommodations — seating 500 for track-and-field competitions and holding up to 5,000 for functions. The subdued scale, extensive glazing, elegant landscape design and meticulous interior detailing make the building a showcase the school is proud to open up to visiting teams, prospective and current students, parents, alumni and the surrounding community.

A rigorous master planning and programming effort led by Sasaki determined the size and location of the facility and ensured the building would tie to its context, within surrounding athletic facilities and the rest of campus.

Energy use was also a key consideration in the design. Middlebury was able to achieve significant reduction in energy consumption due in part to the eight 24-foot-wide ceiling fans circulating air, efficient LED lighting, super-insulated walls and ceilings, ultra-efficient mechanical systems, and an abundance of natural light to reduce the need for overhead illumination. The school is also in the process of seeking LEED Gold certification for the facility.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

    The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.