PC Construction has started work on Middlebury College’s new Field House. The 110,000-square-foot building, which replaces a temporary air-supported structure known as ‘the Bubble’ and is more than twice its size, will host varsity athletic, intramural, recreational and special events when completed in October 2014.
Designed by Sasaki Associates, the new Field House will feature a six-lane track and an eight-lane, 60-meter straightaway for sprints. Areas beyond the oval will host high jump, long jump, pole vault and throwing events. Because the indoor track will be the standard 200-meter length, Middlebury will be able for the first time to host sanctioned indoor track and field meets.
Middlebury’s Field House will include a wall of windows that fills the space with natural light and allows visitors to see inside.The sidewalk along Route 30 will connect to a new plaza outside the Field House and to a grand new entrance to the Peterson Family Athletic Complex, which is used for ice hockey, basketball, swimming, volleyball, tennis and other events.
The $28 million structure, which also will include locker rooms, coaches’ offices, meeting spaces, classrooms and spectator seating, is fully funded by donations from alumni, parents and other supporters. The building will consume less energy than the Bubble and is expected to qualify for gold-level LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
With a floor space of nearly 75,000 square feet, the Field House will be able to accommodate about 7,000 temporary seats on the floor, making it by far the largest event space on the Middlebury College campus.
‘Our rural and mountainous location and northern New England weather encourage many wonderful outdoor recreational opportunities; however, for much of the year, our students also need indoor space for recreation, practice and competition,’ said Erin Quinn, director of athletics at Middlebury. ‘The new Field House that PC Construction is building will encourage students to develop good health and exercise habits in a state-of-the-art facility.’
‘PC Construction previously renovated the McCullough Student Center, and we’re honored to return to the Middlebury College campus to support the long-term health and recreation needs of its students, faculty and staff,’ said Rich Leclerc, project manager for PC Construction.
About PC Construction
PC Construction offers general contracting, construction management and design-build services to private companies and public entities of all sizes. The company manages projects up and down the East Coast and in the southeastern United States from its corporate headquarters in South Burlington, Vermont and regional offices in Portland, Maine and North Carolina. A construction industry leader for 55 years, PC Construction (formerly Pizzagalli Construction) is guided to success by its more than 900 dedicated employee owners.