Facility Focus (Sports, Fitness, Wellness Centers)

University of Louisiana at Lafayette: Athletic Performance Center

University of Louisiana at Lafayette: Athletic Performance Center

PHOTOS © CHRISTY RADECIC PHOTOGRAPHY

The new 77,866-squarefoot University of Louisiana at Lafayette (ULL) Athletic Performance Center has created a central hub for student-athlete development and recruiting. The facility is used by all ULL student-athletes, who can take advantage of the sports medicine, athletic training and strength training offerings on a daily basis. An expansive 12,000-square-foot weight room is the centerpiece of the facility, complete with impactful graphics and a nutrition window at the exit, where ULL dietetics students prepare post-workout meals for athletes and gain real world experience. In addition, the latest in sports medicine — including an underwater therapy pool — complements ample offices, taping and hydrotherapy space.

By bringing all student-athletes into one facility, the university has promoted cohesiveness between sports. Designed by HOK, the new facility’s site in the heart of the athletic campus and immediately adjacent to the Leon Moncla Indoor Practice Facility makes the building an anchor for the area. The location also offers convenient access to an existing, 100-yard indoor field. In addition, the Athletic Performance Center creates the eastern edge of a future “Athletic Quad,” designed to promote and facilitate a festive game day atmosphere for football, tennis and baseball.

The Athletic Performance Center also serves as the home base for the Ragin’ Cajuns football program. The home-team locker room is multi-functional — accommodating the Cajuns’ practice and game day needs.

The new facility features equipment space along with a full team auditorium to accommodate 150 and position break out rooms for the football team. The second level of the facility houses the football coaching staff and provides views from the coaches’ offices to the outdoor practice fields and Cajun Field, the Saturday home of the Ragin’ Cajuns.

This facility was developed as a design-build project in conjunction with Architects Southwest and Lemoine Construction of Lafayette and opened in late 2015.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .