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Masonry Industry Promotion Group
Project Focus
Masonry scores with Gonzaga Arena The $25 million McCarthey Athletic Center is the new home for the Gonzaga University Bulldog basketball games. The 6,000 seat Arena was designed and constructed within a compressed 20 month period following a design-build process led by ALSC Architects and Garco Construction, with additional support by Ellerbe Becket, a Kansas City-based design firm that specializes in sports venues.
"McCarthey Athletic Center was an exciting opportunity to continue ALSC Architects' legacy of providing architectural services for Gonzaga University," said Steve Hindley, ALSC's Principal-in-Charge. "Gonzaga has been a valued client of ALSC Architects since 1960 when our firm designed the original Kennedy Pavilion athletic facility (which was expanded by ALSC in the 1980s and re-named Martin Centre). We have also had the privilege to design many other buildings on campus such as the School of Law, School of Education and the recent remodel and expansion of the Hughes Science Center," said Hindley.
"This entire project was an incredible experience", Hindley said. The team involved in the creation of the McCarthey Athletic Center didn't travel the country looking at other basketball venues as they worked on the new facility's design. "We knew from the beginning we were going to create an Arena unlike any other. Gonzaga's vision was unique," says Hindley. "We couldn't find another model for this facility in the entire country." Several sites were considered for the new Arena, all located at the southeast corner of campus where Gonzaga's athletic facilities are concentrated. Gonzaga ultimately decided to build on a site just east of Martin Centre, where the University's baseball field was located. "Unlike other buildings on the Gonzaga campus, Martin Centre is windowless with exposed concrete walls and large concrete arches. Its design is reminiscent of the 1960's era in which it was built," Hindley says.
McCarthey was designed to include some features that are similar to those in Martin Centre, although that might not be immediately recognizable to the casual observer. For example, the exterior of McCarthey features a concrete base and structural arches similar to Martin Centre. However, McCarthey includes large expanses of glass and extensive brickwork that makes those features less prominent in the new Arena. "We tried to create a good neighbor to Martin Centre, but one that would blend in better with the rest of the campus," Hindley says. For example, banding in the brick on McCarthey replicates in reverse the brick detail of one of its prominent neighbors, Foley Library ((light on dark versus dark on light). The masonry on the Arena was used to anchor the soaring structure to the ground. A prime example of this is on the north side, where masonry walls are intentionally corbeled to visually buttress the thrust of the main roof. Masonry is an integral part of the interior of McCarthey Athletic Center. Non-load bearing smooth and split face painted concrete masonry is the primary wall material used throughout, chosen for both durability and cost. In the entry lobby and the concourse end walls, the brick was brought inside on column elements for continuity from exterior to interior and to provide warmth and richness at the public gathering spaces.
From the south, McCarthey has a grand presence that protrudes from the campus. The south side concourse includes massive windows with views toward Gonzaga's School of Law Building and the site of the new baseball field (which is currently being designed by ALSC). From the north, the Arena appears as a large two-story structure without dominating the campus. Tucking this massive structure into an existing hillside allowed the scale of McCarthey to be reduced where students interact with it on a daily basis. Among the materials used to build the 146,000 square foot structure were 63,000 bricks, 72,000 concrete masonry blocks, 5,000 cubic yards of concrete and 1,200 tons of structural steel. Chris Standiford, Associate Athletic Director at Gonzaga University says the owners are "ecstatic" about the project. The masonry features are what gives the building its image of strength that Gonzaga was looking for. Standiford adds, "the design team did a great job an all the trades that worked on the project were wonderful but I was particularly impressed with the work ethic and craftsmanship of the bricklayers. By all
accounts the McCarthey Athletic Center is a huge success. Both the Men's
and Women's basketball teams recently completed their first season in
the new Arena with perfect winning records, and the facility has received
rave reviews from fans, coaches and players alike.
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© 2003 - 2006 Janet Crosby all rights reserved
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