Sports complexes today are becoming more and more intricate, involving a variety of different structures and buildings.
Depending on the organization the complex is for, the facility can house practice fields, indoor training facilities, concession stands, practices fields, or even full-blown stadiums. Most of these buildings are small to medium in size.
Modular construction provides some distinct advantages in this category of buildings and especially in an area like a sports complex.
There are a number of benefits to integrating modular construction into the initial design of the project, such as meeting tight deadlines, providing a safer job site with less traffic, and wasting less material.
However, adding modular buildings after the fact as you need them might provide even bigger benefits.
Typically, these additional, smaller buildings are needed quickly at a sports complex to fill a specific need, such as security, ticket sales, storage, etc.
And, it seems the issue always arises right before the start of a sports season or even right in the middle of it.
Modular buildings can be quickly built in a timeframe faster than stick built, but, more importantly, they are installed on site in no time.
That means there’s minimal site downtime, and the complex does not have to incur the hazards that come along with a traditional construction.
Additionally, the buildings are designed to be mobile, so if the plans change further down the road, the buildings can be moved to their next desired location.
Here are some of the most popular applications of modular buildings in sports complexes.
Guard Houses
Like many public places, most sports complexes place a large emphasis on security and the safety of their people. Having guard houses around the entry and exit points is the first step taken to address this issue.
Guard houses provide the facility with a focal point for their entire security team, including accessories like exterior floodlights, surveillance cameras, and CCTV monitoring stations.
However, let’s say the sports complex has a number of fields spread across a large area and more than one entry/exit. Then the security team will need to be stationed in different locations around the complex depending on which fields are holding games.
For instances like these, your school could get a fully mobile, trailer-mounted guard house that can be relocated at a moment’s notice to provide a fully dynamic security team.
Equipment Storage
Perhaps the building that is most often overlooked in a sports complex, equipment storage buildings are a must-have, and there are typically multiple throughout the facility.
Equipment storage buildings, in this case, will be storing equipment that keeps the complex up and running (groundskeeping) and sports equipment for the teams themselves. Prefabricated equipment storage buildings are composed of the same panel systems and can be fully erected on site.
Similar to security buildings, storage buildings can be equipped with all the extra amenities that you need like roll-up doors, tall walls, and HVAC systems if needed.
The wall panels themselves can be adapted to fit the equipment being stored, including increased R-Values (insulation), STC ratings (noise rating), and even panel finishes.
Ticket Booths
Similar to the facility’s guard houses, the ticket booths will also play an important role in the facility, positioned at its entrance.
In a lot of cases, ticket booths are a good example of a building that is added to a complex after the fact or a need arises for an additional booth to be added after the completion of the complex in order to accommodate higher attendances.
Prefabricated ticket booths are similar to guard houses with a couple major tweaks. A specialty window better allows for the passage of money and tickets in and out of the building without it being fully open to the outdoors.
Also, these buildings are typically built atop a forkliftable steel base, meaning the building can be moved if needed. So, if the building needs to be repositioned after moving from softball to baseball system, it can be easily moved and re-anchored.
Press Boxes
Modular press boxes are typically added on to facilities after the fact, but they can also be implemented into the initial design of the complex.
For existing sports complexes without a press box, using a modular solution can make a lot of sense for a variety of reasons. Unlike our previous building examples, putting a press box inside a complex will be a complete construction project in the majority of cases.
However, utilizing a pre-assembled building design and a modular mezzanine system, the structure easily and safety be crane-lifted into place and anchored to the top of the mezzanine.
Even though the modular press boxes are prefabricated, the buildings can still be outfitted with the unique building designs found in traditionally built press boxes.
For example, we often are requested to provide a press box with a deck on top of the building. For this design, we provide the structure with an interior ladder and latch system on one of the press boxes far walls, a heavy-duty load bearing roof, and hand railing all along the top of the building. The press box then allows viewing of the game from both its inside and out.
Observation/Filming Platform
Like the top of the press boxes, observation or film platforms are often used at sports complexes to get a bird’s eye view of the field below.
These structures can be used at either practice fields or at the stadiums themselves and will often hold cameramen to get game tape or the coaches themselves.
These observation platforms are very similar to the modular mezzanine systems. Fabricated in a manufacturing facility, they utilize a bolt-together steel design for easy installation on site. The platform comes with an IBC stair system and can sit at a deck height of your choosing.
These buildings excel at solving space needs quickly and conveniently as possible. However, where they do not get enough credit is the overall aesthetics that modular construction can provide, as well.
This information is courtesy of Panel Built, which offers a complete line of custom modular offices, mezzanines, security booths, pre-assembled exterior buildings, and cleanrooms, www.panelbuilt.com.
