SOLKANAVATORNO, LLC    architects

This purpose of this project was to provide a permanent building for the Flour Bluff ISD football team and other athletic teams to have for lockers, showers, weight room, training facilities, etc.; replacing existing buildings that were originally classrooms but served most recently for athletics training. 

The solution was to provide a 30,800 square foot indoor, artificial turf training field on one end of the building and 21,825 square feet of air conditioned locker rooms, showers, weight room, training room, laundry, classroom and offices on the other end.  For simplicity and in order to maximize the budget, a pre-engineered metal building structure was designed with insulated metal panels on the roof and upper walls with lower wall construction made of split face and smooth face colored concrete masonry units. 

The arrangement of spaces focuses primarily on efficiency of the daily football practice routine to maximize the time coaches and players spend training.  Because the training field is non-air conditioned, the perimeter walls have sectional overhead doors that can open to let the natural South Texas breeze blow through.  Four 20-foot diameter “ceiling” fans help move air around in the training field when the breeze isn’t enough.