T. L. Hanna High School Field House, Anderson School District 5

The new collegiate-quality training facility stands alone from the existing school, sited so that opponents’ buses must pass the large, brightly lit windows of the weight room on their way to the stadium. While the District wanted the building materials and colors to complement the existing campus, they also desired an architectural design that would inspire excitement and best represent the school’s strong athletics programs.

Durable rubber sports flooring covers much of the building’s interior, creating contrast with the bright artificial turf of the 40-yard-dash inspired training hallway. This hallway bisects the building’s support spaces from the central weight room along the east-west axis, creating a transition from coaching and locker spaces to the areas where building users spend most of their time. Inside the weight room itself, high ceilings, exposed structural elements and ductwork, and an open grid ceiling cloud system create an expansive space. HVLS fans are a critical part of the building’s sustainable HVAC plan. Ample natural light comes from both the northern clerestory windows and the south-facing glass wall, which also includes roller window shades to control direct light.

An important part of the school’s overall commitment to athletics, the facility is used by many of the school’s other sports teams besides football. The JV locker room was designed to also function as a women’s locker room during the school day, while the varsity locker room serves as the men’s locker room. A separate coaches’ locker room and toilet also offer privacy for female coaching staff to use the facility. Connected back to the school through crosswalks and accessible ramps, the facility is often fully scheduled throughout the day for academic weight training classes.