FSU Champions Club
The Design-Build team was selected to design and construct approximately $97,000,000.00 worth of construction improvements to a football stadium. The improvements had to be completed between football seasons resulting in only about 9 months of construction time available. Both design and construction processes were fast-tracked in an effort to meet the rigorous schedule, prior to the start of the 2016 football season.
The construction was organized into 12 separate project Phases, each on a separate critical path and requiring over 1000 sheets of Contract Document drawings. 11 different sets of drawings and specifications were required.
The addition of approximately 6000 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 2 new circulation towers. Each circulation "tower" contains (3) 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 projects “handshake to the community”. Passive stairwell ventilation occurs underneath the glazed curtainwall, which is cantilevered plus or minus 5’-0” 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 thru 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’-0”. 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.
A number of notable improvements were made to the existing Stadium, as a part of the overall construction project. Plus or minus 28 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 re-coated with a heavy waterproofing coating and the underside of the deck repainted. All the existing bleachers were removed to facilitate coating installation and then re-installed once the process had been completed. Wayfinding signage was also updated to reflect new layouts and finishes.
