University of Minnesota - Athletes Village

The Athletes Village is a transformational project for intercollegiate athletics at the University of Minnesota. The facility focuses on student athlete performance improvements on the field/court, in the classroom and in life. The village is home for football and men’s/women’s basketball, providing them with practice, athletic training rooms, strength and conditioning, offices, lounges, meeting rooms and nutrition areas. The Village includes a leadership institute which is a national model for others. The academic center and dining hall improve performance in the classroom and teach healthy lifestyles. A private dining area with demonstration kitchen is also provided. Every design move has been shaped with a focus on recruiting and convenience. Designed in collaboration with BWBR

The 320,000 SF Athlete’s Village at the University of Minnesota is transformational - unifying three separate buildings for intercollegiate athletics. The University desired transparency and cohesion across the buildings, emphasizing brand consistency. The interior design acts as a common thread woven through each building, while celebrating the uniqueness of each sport. The interior color palette is infused with the Golden Gopher spirit and tailored for each program. Interpreted in multiple forms, netting inspired the concept for the Basketball Performance Center.

Lighting designers - in concert with all other designers - created spaces that not only reinforce the university’s branding but reflect the energy and metaphor of Sport itself. Lighting functions as almost a tactile metaphor for sport, with shape and movement of its own. Lighting fixtures are integrated into the interior architecture. As a result, lights emphasize shapes and colors evoking basketball and football in their respective locker rooms, bring excitement and energy to common spaces, and echo professional sport arenas in practice facilities. Natural daylighting is extensively utilized, which created challenges in ensuring that the multiple large-format displays would be highlighted and illuminated at all times of day.