Houston ISD—Delmar Fieldhouse
Architect: PBK
The Delmar Fieldhouse holds the office of the district athletic director and staff. Dressing facilities serve officials, 2 football team locker rooms & training rooms. There are 4 locker rooms for basketball/volleyball & they have a press/conference room. The facility is a sports equipment distribution & conditioning center for the district. The arena has 5000 seats with concessions, restrooms & flex areas. The court can be 84’ court or 94’ court to meet high school & collegiate competition.
Design
The new Delmar Fieldhouse replaced a facility that was built in 1958. The saddleback structure hosted many events, but the did not mirror the districts new image. This fieldhouse is transparent, dynamic, and the architecture engages the community at all angels. It’s sweeping angles, glass ribbons, and geometric planes direct attendees to the entries. The flex areas, multi-purpose spaces, additional dressing rooms and seating accommodates various educational, community and athletic events.
Value
The facility is LEED Certified. The exterior façade is made of brick, kynar finished, metal panels, glass & burnished concrete block. The materials are durable, low maintenance and complement each other in color & texture. The interior has masonry block, epoxy flooring at concourse, event level & large format tile at entry, restrooms & locker rooms. It has athletic offices & district sports equipment distribution and condition. The basketball court floor, about 90” in length, can be removed.
Sustainability
The district emphasized the desire for the project to be LEED Certified. The team, CMAR, Architect and Engineers worked intensely to achieve the LEED Certification. Sustainable concepts included the brownfield redevelopment, waste management, water efficiency, recycle content & the use of regional materials. The use of the LED lights made a big impact in the quality of play and learning. The recycle programs will handle large quantities of recyclable products created at large scale events.
Community
The building has been impactful in the district by being a space for learning, exhibiting, athletic and other events. It was a distribution center for the community after being affected by a natural disaster. It is adjacent to the district administration building. Graphics were strategically placed to be seen from major thorough fairs like freeways and tollbooths. Existing materials and colors create a harmonious context.
Planning
A comprehensive, interactive design process with district officials, athletic directors and staff was conducted. Programming was discussed to determine any functions the building may host for the community and the information was reflected in the design. This was followed by studies of site orientation, entry and circulation of the facility. The exterior design of the facility went through a process of creating an iconic image that reflects the district values and direction in the 21st century.
School Transformation
The original fieldhouse from 1958 was limited in how it could be utilized for other programs to serve the district, students and community. The New Delmar Fieldhouse integrated flex space, technology, multi-use spaces, infrastructure and architecture to create a facility that inspired learning, sharing, competing and celebrating. It allows for district wide Gifted and Talented fairs, Science fairs, college signing day, staff development and other community programs.
Star of Distinction Category Winner