flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

Northern Arizona University opens a new training center for its student athletes

Sports and Recreational Facilities

Northern Arizona University opens a new training center for its student athletes

In addition to its various athletic and academic spaces, the center offers “one of the best views of any training facility in the country.”


By Novid Parsi, Contributing Editor | May 19, 2022
NAU Student Athlete training facility ext 1
Courtesy NAU.

In Flagstaff, Ariz. Northern Arizona University (NAU) has opened its new Student-Athlete High Performance Center. 

Designed by DLR Group and built by CORE Construction, the $46 million, 72,000-square-foot training center significantly increases the academic, weight training, recovery, and nutrition space available to Lumberjack student athletes. The facility sits on a hillside with views of Humphreys Peak, the highest point in Arizona.

To enter the building, visitors cross a 140-foot walking bridge that begins at the base of the tree line and elevates 20 feet before reaching the entry. This design choice allowed DLR Group to leave the site as untouched as possible.

“The iconic Parsons Family Auditorium undeniably features one of the best views of any training facility in the country, sitting above the tree line with a 60’ by 40’ glass wall that frames unobstructed views of the 12,600-foot Humphreys Peak and the San Francisco Range,” Andrew Kelly, sports design leader, DLR Group, said in a statement.

Other features include the country’s largest high-altitude training chamber on a college campus. It can simulate atmospheric conditions ranging from sea level to 12,000 feet, allowing student athletes to train at higher elevations and recover faster at sea level. 

The Scott and Franci Free Academic Center—which increases dedicated academic space from 700 square feet to more than 7,000 square feet—offers individual study areas, three classrooms, a computer lab, and academic staff offices. 

The Jennifer Marie Wilson Strength and Conditioning Center more than doubles the size of the Lumberjacks’ weight training area to 11,500 square feet. And the Michael E. Nesbitt Athletic Training Center features three hydrotherapy recovery pools. 

In addition, NAU athletics programs are partnering with the University’s College of Health and Human Services to conduct research on student athletes in the Sims-Treharne Collaborative Research Lab.

On the team: 
Owner and/or developer: Northern Arizona University
Design architect and architect of record: DLR Group
MEP  and structural engineers: DLR Group 
Civil engineer: Shephard-Wesnitzer, Inc.
Landscape architect: Norris Design
General contractor/construction manager: CORE Construction

NAU training center int
Courtesy NAU.
NAU training facility field
Courtesy NAU.
NAU training facility int 2
Courtesy NAU.

 

Related Stories

| Aug 11, 2010

Jacobs, HOK top BD+C's ranking of the 75 largest state/local government design firms

A ranking of the Top 75 State/Local Government Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

| Aug 11, 2010

Gilbane, Whiting-Turner among nation's largest university contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report

A ranking of the Top 50 University Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit /giants

| Aug 11, 2010

AASHE releases annual review of sustainability in higher education

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has announced the release of AASHE Digest 2008, which documents the continued rapid growth of campus sustainability in the U.S. and Canada. The 356-page report, available as a free download on the AASHE website, includes over 1,350 stories that appeared in the weekly AASHE Bulletin last year.

| Aug 11, 2010

Burt Hill, HOK top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 100 largest university design firms

A ranking of the Top 100 University Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

| Aug 11, 2010

PBK, DLR Group among nation's largest K-12 school design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report

A ranking of the Top 75 K-12 School Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

| Aug 11, 2010

AGC unveils comprehensive plan to revive the construction industry

The Associated General Contractors of America unveiled a new plan today designed to revive the nation’s construction industry. The plan, “Build Now for the Future: A Blueprint for Economic Growth,” is designed to reverse predictions that construction activity will continue to shrink through 2010, crippling broader economic growth.

| Aug 11, 2010

Section Eight Design wins 2009 Open Architecture Challenge for classroom design

Victor, Idaho-based Section Eight Design beat out seven other finalists to win the 2009 Open Architecture Challenge: Classroom, spearheaded by the Open Architecture Network. Section Eight partnered with Teton Valley Community School (TVCS) in Victor to design the classroom of the future. Currently based out of a remodeled house, students at Teton Valley Community School are now one step closer to getting a real classroom.

| Aug 11, 2010

PCL Construction, HITT Contracting among nation's largest commercial building contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report

A ranking of the Top 50 Commercial Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category


Mixed-Use

A surging master-planned community in Utah gets its own entertainment district

Since its construction began two decades ago, Daybreak, the 4,100-acre master-planned community in South Jordan, Utah, has been a catalyst and model for regional growth. The latest addition is a 200-acre mixed-use entertainment district that will serve as a walkable and bikeable neighborhood within the community, anchored by a minor-league baseball park and a cinema/entertainment complex.


Cultural Facilities

Multipurpose sports facility will be first completed building at Obama Presidential Center

When it opens in late 2025, the Home Court will be the first completed space on the Obama Presidential Center campus in Chicago. Located on the southwest corner of the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, the Home Court will be the largest gathering space on the campus. Renderings recently have been released of the 45,000-sf multipurpose sports facility and events space designed by Moody Nolan.


halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021