Stanmar | Design and Construction of Multipurpose Facilities for Private Colleges, Universities, Independent Schools, Institutions, and YMCAs

College Athletics Fight for Funding

2012-02-03T16:13:56Z

Higher education institutions nationwide have been investing more money to update athletic facilities. The competition of funding between athletics, dormitories, laboratories and other projects is now being coined, the "arms race." The amount of money delegated for athletics has become an important debate between many college/university factions. In the video entitled, "Expert Opinion" Looks at "Arms Race in College Sports," we gain insight on some of the biggest questions and concerns of the funding competition.

When colleges and universities decide to update their athletic facilities, oftentimes they are dealing with buildings over 40 years of age and are no longer meeting the quality and standards of sports' programs; growing competitive women sport teams; or increasing student enrollment numbers. More and more new athletic facilities are now focusing on the latest technology, raising sports to a higher competitive level for both men and women athletes, and addressing future expansion objectives to support students' needs 50 years from now.

The reality is education recruiting budgets are shrinking and schools are competing for high-quality students, athletes and professors. Modern and attractive athletic facilities with a multitude of amenities are now being used as marketing tools to attract perspective students and faculty. New facilities are also driving revenue through media outlets. Facilities that are able to support and raise higher competitive teams bring more ticket sales, sponsorships, and television rights to their respective institutions.

As the arms race continues, it will be interesting to see how institutions achieve a higher standard by combining excellent academics with profitable athletic programs.

Schools Trying Creative Approaches to Keep Kids Fit

2011-12-09T22:15:17Z

Everyone certainly knows all the benefits of staying physically fit..Lower blood pressure, a happier disposition, a more ideal body weight, and less stress. Now, add superior academic performance.

According to an article entitled, "Schools Struggle to Find Where Fitness Fits," which was written by Michael Popke, Managing Editor of Athletic Business, and posted on the magazine's website this month, schools are aware of the positive link between better academic performance and fitness. However, they still are dealing with limited budgets that force them to make painful choices between hiring an academic teacher versus a gym teacher. The result is that oftentimes, they focus solely on academics and let the physical education programs lapse. As a consequence, their students' fitness levels suffer.

In his article, Popke presents several examples of schools that are bucking the trend. These schools are realizing that students' fitness needs also have to be nurtured, and instead, are beefing up their physical education programs and options - both on their respective campuses - as well as in the communities in which they live.

For those looking for statistics on what percent of today's schools provide physical activity opportunities for their students, Popke cites some alarming numbers that are spiraling downward. They are a far cry from the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the American Heart Association's recommended weekly minutes for elementary, middle and high school students.

However, as Popke further illustrates in his article, there are several schools out there that "get" the positive academic performance/fitness link and are going above and beyond to make those activities a required part of the school day or beneficial options either before or after school.

Obviously, having these physical education opportunities regularly available during the kids' formative years, can only serve to instill life-long fitness habits for the benefit of all.

Stanmar's Samford University Project Site of "Greatest Basketball Shot"

2011-10-21T21:02:45Z

Stanmar's Pete Hanna Center project at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, is receiving quite a bit of attention on YouTube these days.

The 147,000-square-foot athletic facility and basketball arena that Stanmar's team of specialists designed and constructed is now the proud venue for the "Greatest Basketball Shot of All Time" video. The brand-new video, which is part of DCUStudios2's "The Legendary Shots" collection, is the latest addition to the firm's 76 jaw-dropping videos in this category.

The 49-second "Greatest Basketball Shot of All Time" video, which was filmed at Samford's centerpiece Pete Hanna Center, has received over 1.5 million hits already! Be sure to join the crowd of viewers...Your eyes won't believe this incredible, one-in-a-million shot!

Late 19th Century American Women Were Active in Sports & Fitness

2011-10-14T21:15:03Z

Just when you thought you knew a few facts about the history of women and sports from the late 19th century, along comes a rare collection of articles and illustrations from The Lost Century of Sports Collection folks to challenge your knowledge.

The thought-provoking anthology entitled, "Daughters of the Lost Century: The Playful Pioneers of American Women's Sports and Fitness," delves into the fun sports and fitness activities women were actively participating in from 1849 to 1909. It also examines more critical issues from that era such as women's rights, which were also impacting their daily lives.

Looking back at the milestones that these early women sports and fitness pioneers were able to achieve and comparing and contrasting them with today's post Title IX-female athletes and sports' and fitness participants is sure to be a "fun exercise."

To complement their 828-page book, The Lost Century of Sports Collection group also has posted two video snippets on YouTube that further showcase the many sports and fitness pastimes women were participating in more than 100 years ago. These vintage clips are definitely worth viewing - not only for inspirational and educational insights - but for historical and fashion-conscious ones, as well.

Stanmar "Tops Off" Steve Tisch Sports & Fitness Center at Tufts

2011-08-25T19:10:26Z

On Wednesday, August 17, 2011, Stanmar's team of athletic facility specialists held a traditional, "topping off" ceremony at Tufts University's Medford, Massachusetts campus to signify an important milestone. The last steel beam was strategically set to be placed atop the University's new Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, which the company designed and is currently constructing for the School. Stanmar wanted to share the proud moment with Tufts University's administrators and staff, as well as members of the surrounding community.

The picture-perfect day couldn't have been better....Brilliantly sunny and warm with a spattering of fair-weather clouds. On hand for the event, in addition to the Stanmar team, were new Tufts University President, Dr. Anthony Monaco; Tufts University Athletic Director, Bill Gehling; Tufts University Vice President of Operations, Dick Reynolds; several members of Tufts University's Athletics Department; several other Tufts University administrators and staff; Medford Mayor, Michael McGlynn; municipal administrators; Medford residents; members of the press; and several project donors.

The ceremony kicked off at 11:30 a.m. with speeches by Stanmar President, Mark Snider, Mayor McGlynn, Dr. Monaco, and Bill Gehling. At 12:10 p.m. a crane hoisted the last beam, which was painted white and adorned with the U.S. flag, a Tufts banner, and a ceremonial tree. Prior to the final beam's placement, Stanmar, Tufts University officials, and community members were invited to "autograph" it for posterity. After the ceremony concluded, all attendees were invited to a special luncheon on site.

With the last beam now in place, Stanmar's team of design and construction specialists are moving on to the next phase of the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center project at Tufts University. This new 42,000 square foot facility, which Stanmar broke ground on in April of 2011, is slated to be completed in the summer of 2012.

USA-Swimming Recommends Pool Energy Blankets for Significant Cost Savings

2011-07-21T20:33:03Z

The USA-Swimming association is recommending the use of pool energy blankets in indoor natatoriums across the country for significant cost savings in energy and water usage. Click here to read the article recently published on their website. In it, USA-Swimming cites statistics gleaned from the Dynamo Swim Club in Atlanta, Georgia, which began using the pool energy blankets on its indoor pools for a four-year period - in addition to installing solar hot water heating systems. The Club realized impressive cost savings of over $200,000 a year in gas, water, and chemicals. 75% of the energy efficiency achieved was attributable to the pool energy blankets, while the other 25% came from the solar heating systems.

The article also provides additional, useful statistics such as 97% of heat loss from the water in a natatorium is due to evaporation (70%) - while the other 27% comes from ventilation. Pool operators can stop this heat transfer physics of evaporation loss and humidity gain in the air cycle by using a pool energy blanket for at least seven-to-eight hours at night. Doing so, will enable them to stop 50% of the total heat, water, and chemical losses that are attributable to evaporation each year.

If your school or college/university is already using a pool energy blanket on your indoor swimming pool than you can pat yourself on the back! According to the USA-Swimming article, 95% of current natatoriums don't use them yet. The article explains why (i.e., this issue isn't clearly understood yet by pool operators and there are time and labor tasks associated with using the blanket).

In addition to providing all of the attractive economic reasons for using a pool energy blanket, the article also delves into both the short and long-term benefits of using one, including water and energy efficiencies, support of Green initiatives, and a better overall image for the sport of swimming, as well.

Study Ties Sports Participation to Enhanced Academic Success

2011-06-24T20:49:53Z

A recent study of middle-school-aged children in Portugal has documented a direct link between sports participation, fitness levels, and academic achievement, according to a research report presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's 58th Annual Meeting and 2nd World Congress on Exercise is Medicine. The findings presented at this Meeting revealed that the correlation was the most pronounced for students who played a lot of sports or who participated in them over long time periods, especially girls.

For more information about the study, click here to be taken to the June 2011 online issue of Recreation Management magazine where a feature story on the topic was published.

Stanmar's Project at Philadelphia University Honors Herb Magee

2011-05-25T18:34:38Z

Stanmar, Inc. designed and constructed the 88,000-square-foot Gallagher Athletic and Recreation Center at Philadelphia University in Pennsylvania, which features a competition, three-court gymnasium with bleacher seating for up to 2,500 spectators. The gym (a.k.a., the "Herb Magee Court") is named after the University's current Men's Basketball Coach, and was recently the site of another honor...It was the venue that "welcomed back" Magee for the first time as a "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer."

Philadelphia University's students, faculty, and staff were all on hand at the Herb Magee Court in April to greet him after his official Hall of Fame selection announcement. For more information about the legendary Coach's Hall of Fame honor and the welcome back ceremony at the Gallagher Center, click here.

In addition to the gymnasium, Stanmar's Gallagher Athletic & Recreation Center at Philadelphia University also includes an expansive lobby; large fitness/free weight/cardio center with offices; a renovated one-court, recreational gym; Hospitality Suite; Athletics' wing with conference rooms and offices; a "Wall of Fame" area; elevated jogging track; large training suite; concessions area; and 12 locker rooms. For a "virtual walk-through" of the Gallagher Center, visit Philadelphia University's website.

To see more photos of the Gallagher Athletic & Recreation Center, visit "Our Portfolio" Page.

Stanmar Begins Construction on Steve Tisch Sports & Fitness Center at Tufts

2011-04-27T17:09:28Z

Stanmar proudly announces that construction has commenced on Tufts University's new Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center. Stanmar's team of specialists began constructing the $16 million Center on Monday, April 18, 2011.

Once completed, in the Summer of 2012, the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center will unify all of the buildings in Tufts University's Sports Complex, including the School's historic Cousens Gymnasium, Hamilton Pool, and Gantcher Center.

To see additional construction photos of Stanmar's latest project, click here. Also be sure to visit our Blog often for more up-to-date news on the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center's progress, as well as for more pictures of it "taking shape."

Stanmar, Inc. Breaks Ground on Steve Tisch Sports & Fitness Center at Tufts University

2011-04-14T21:24:32Z

Stanmar, Inc., the nation's leading designer and builder of athletic and recreational facilities for private colleges and universities, and independent schools headquartered in Wayland, Mass., has developed an innovative new design and construction plan for the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center, part of Tufts University's athletic facility improvement program. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Center was held on the University's Medford, Mass. campus April 12, 2011 and construction is slated to begin on April 18th.

Tufts had previously planned to renovate an existing, aged athletics building and add a new facility. Stanmar proposed adding a new facility with a different floor plan and entry concept in front of the old building. Constructing a single building independent of the old one offers greater efficiencies, superior space, and significant cost savings.

"In this innovative design we're getting all the program components we originally wanted, but in a new building, and we're saving money, too," said Tufts Vice President for Operations Richard Reynolds. "At Tufts we're incredibly proud not only of our varsity and club sports, but also our many intramural, health, and fitness activities that reflect the University's vision and values as a whole. I know that students, faculty, alumni, and friends are all going to be extremely proud of our new Center."

Stanmar, with the cooperation of architectural firms RGO Partnership (Newton) and DiMella Shaffer (Boston), worked to develop the proposed 42,000-square foot facility design. Dramatic in appearance, the brick, glass, and copper-clad building is also a showcase for innovative energy-efficient and "green" technology. Building systems include high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, heat recovery, demand ventilation, high-performance glazing, solar shading devices, automatic lighting controls, and natural daylighting.

"We're excited that Tufts University selected Stanmar to design and build its Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center," said Stanmar's President Mark Snider. "For Stanmar to be able to bring its creativity and expertise to help the University solve a major challenge, which better serves all its constituents, is very rewarding."

The new $16,000,000 Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center will become the major hub that unifies the entire Tufts sports complex, including the historic Cousens Gymnasium, Ames Fitness Center, Gantcher Center, and Hamilton Pool. The new, street-level entrance will provide access through a lobby to the new, state-of-the-art fitness center; sports medicine facility; men's and women's varsity team rooms; and Athletic Department offices and classrooms. In addition, a new plaza in front of the facility will "greet" visitors to the building and act as a gateway to the main Tufts campus in Medford/Somerville.

To read Tufts University's article about the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center's groundbreaking ceremony, which appeared in the April 13th edition of the School's "The Tufts Daily" publication, click here.

To read additional background information about the project in an earlier addition of the University's "The Tufts Daily" publication, click here.

To visit "Our Portfolio" Page and learn more about the project, click here

"Design-Build Delivers," Says Athletic Business Magazine Article

2010-09-15T20:38:00Z

The Design-Build project delivery methodology is dissected in great detail on Athletic Business magazine's website - in an article entitled, "Design-Build Delivers," by Andrew Cohen.

In the article, Cohen delves into why Design-Build may be the right solution for many colleges and municipalities, especially those considering new stadiums, arenas, and recreation centers. One of the biggest benefits, he explains, is that with "Design-Build...The involvement of as many of the various principals as possible at the outset of the design process gives them each an opportunity to shape the building's blueprint." He mentions how many successful facility projects have ended up in litigation due to poor working relationships between the separate architects and contractors involved in the respective projects.

Cohen also explains in his article how, "Sudbury, Mass.-based Stanmar Inc. is the only classically configured design-build architecture firm specializing in sports and recreation facilities."

The article does a thorough job of describing the design-build project delivery system, using real-world examples. It also answers the who, what, why, when, and how of the process, with feedback, comments, and tips from respected design-build industry leaders. All in all, readers are given an objective overview of design-build - with Cohen also providing some time and attention to the other route clients can elect to follow (i.e., the separate architect-bid-build one).

Of course, if you still have questions about design-build after reading this article, or want to learn more about how you can design and construct the athletic or recreational facility you are envisioning - via this process - you can always call us here at Stanmar and we'll be happy to help.

New York Times Reports College Spending for Recreation is Rising

2010-08-04T20:23:58Z

An article recently published in The New York Times cites a study, based on government data, showing that the share of spending on recreation at American colleges and universities is rising more rapidly than the share of spending on instruction. The study uncovered a trend showing that

"increased spending on nonacademic areas prevailed across the higher education spectrum, with public and private, elite and community colleges increasing expenditures more for student services than for instruction." Included in the report was the definition of the student services category, which comprised intramural athletics and student centers, as well as a few other areas. The article quotes Richard K. Vedder, a professor at Ohio University who studies the economics of higher education. He claims that a lot of institutional spending is going toward "great athletic centers and spectacular student union buildings" and that in their quest to get more and more students, American universities are "going after them on the basis of recreational amenities."
The article also includes comments by Jane Wellman, Executive Director of the Delta Cost Project, which is a non-profit group in Washington that investigates college costs and offers ideas and solutions for keeping tuition's manageable. She cites how higher education can't continue to maintain the spending they ran up in the '90s and early 2000s and that in today's economic climate "university presidents and boards must learn to be better stewards of tuition and taxpayer dollars." To read this New York Times article in its entirety, click here. To learn how Stanmar's team of design and construction specialists can help you achieve the beautiful, high-quality, recreational or athletic facility you're envisioning - at a great value - contact us today!

Stanmar Constructing Athletic Facility Addition at Endicott College

2010-07-13T23:53:24Z

Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts has hired Stanmar to create a new fitness center addition to their Post Sports Science and Athletic Center that we designed and built for them back in 1999. If you ride by or visit the College today - or in the near future - you'll see Stanmar's athletic facility design and construction specialists hard at work on campus.

If you do visit the campus, take the opportunity to spend some time in the Post Center, which still "shows" impeccably. The 80,000 square foot facility features a spacious lobby and control desk area; competition gymnasium with seating for 1,200; multipurpose, 3-court field house; elevated jogging track; fitness center; aerobics' and multipurpose rooms; Physical Therapy Administration and Sports Medicine suites; Athletic Director and Coaches' offices; a training room; classrooms; locker rooms; an interactive seminar room; and a 2,000 square foot Hospitality Suite.

School Officials at Endicott have an excellent understanding of the impact fitness has on enhancing student enrollment and retention. They not only have provided an excellent athletic facility for their constituents, but are also strongly committed to maintaining it. The Post Center is over 10 years old, but still looks new!

To view some Post Center photos from Endicott College's website, click here. Please be sure to also check "Our Portfolio Page" on our own website for some additional Post Center images. We'll also keep you up-to-date as we continue constructing Endicott's new fitness center addition, as well.

Hamden Hall Country Day School Facility

2010-05-21T14:05:01Z

Stanmar announces a new, multipurpose athletic facility project at the Hamden Hall Country Day School in Hamden, Connecticut. This independent secondary school hired Stanmar to design and construct a 62,700 sq. ft. facility for them that includes an airy, circular lobby with a skylight; competition gymnasium; natatorium with a 6-lane, 25-yard lap pool and 2 one-meter diving boards; a training room; elevated track; multipurpose rooms; a study room with computers; and several locker rooms and offices.

You can see a walk-through of this new building, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony that was held on December 16, 2009, below.

Taylor University

2010-05-20T14:38:33Z

"Stanmar's communication skills and their ability to listen to our needs were excellent. There were no problems regarding a lack of communication and they made an effort to keep everyone on the same page...We were very happy with the quality of work that Stanmar provided...There are many ebbs and flows that occur naturally in a project of this magnitude and...Stanmar did a great job of managing the project time line...and working with us to make sure our budget was met...They also met our expectations and we would recommend them to other schools. Stanmar provided the expertise that was needed...and delivered on the promise that was made. The final product speaks for itself."

Mr. Robert B. Sutherland,
Vice President for Business and Finance
Taylor University
Upland, IN