Doak Campbell Stadium

The design-build team for renovations at Florida State University was selected to design and construct approximately $97 million worth of improvements to the football stadium. The improvements had to be completed between football seasons, resulting in only about nine months of construction time available. Both design and construction processes were fast-tracked to meet the rigorous schedule.

Construction was organized into 12 separate project phases, each on a separate critical path and requiring over 1,000 sheets of contract document drawings. Eleven different sets of drawings and specifications were required.

The addition of approximately 6,000 new club seats, along with approximately 36,600 square feet of air-conditioned fourth floor club space, mandated that the existing vertical circulation systems be improved with the addition of two new circulation towers. Each circulation tower contains three high-speed elevators and a scissor stair. Conceptually, the towers were conceived as vertical “lanterns”, their transparency complementing the substantial materiality of the existing stadium brick construction. The towers and their associated hardscaping provide the project's “handshake to the community”. 

Passive stairwell ventilation occurs underneath the glazed curtainwall, which is cantilevered plus or minus five feet directly above a polychromed terra-cotta base. The terra-cotta consciously interprets weaving patterns symbolic of the cultural tradition underpinning the university. Ventilation is facilitated through perforated soffit panels and mechanically aided by exhaust fans located at the top of the stair shaft.

The project transformed an open seating bowl to a covered, conditioned, tiered club. Existing pedestrian ramping systems were removed, existing exterior brick openings infilled with windows, and a new floor system installed to facilitate the addition of an interior, air-conditioned, fourth floor club space.

The existing sixth floor terrace space was resurfaced and the area expanded by extending the terrace to the north by approximately 20 feet. This expansion results in an open terrace area of approximately 21,650 square feet. Built-in exterior bars were added along with restrooms and additional storage space. The entire terrace area was covered with a combination of low-sloped roofs and a large, Teflon-coated, fiberglass-reinforced fabric roof covering a total area of approximately 25,000 square feet. This roof also covers a significant number of the new club seats providing desirable shade as a result.

Several notable improvements were made to the existing stadium as a part of the overall construction project. Twenty-eight existing stadium restrooms were renovated, new toilet fixtures added where necessary, and new finishes installed throughout. In addition to the restroom upgrades, the entire stadium bowl structural deck was repaired and recoated with a heavy waterproofing coating and the underside of the deck repainted. All the existing bleachers were removed to facilitate coating installation and then reinstalled once the process had been completed. Wayfinding signage was also updated to reflect new layouts and finishes.

Consultants and Contractor Credits:

H2 Engineering: 114 East 5th Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32303

Bliss & Nyitray, Inc: 227 North Bronough St, Suite 7300, Tallahassee, FL 32301

Moore Bass Consulting, Inc: 805 North Gadsen Street, Tallahassee, FL 32303

Interior Architects: 3455 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 325, Atlanta, GA 30326

Ardaman & Associates, Inc: 3175 West Tharpe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32303

Jensen Hughes., Inc: 3384 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 550, Atlanta, GA 30326

 

Submitting Organization
EMI Architects/Rosser International Inc.
Photo Credits
Adam Cohen Photography
Year
2017
Category Entered
Clubs
Category
Club Spaces