COVID-19 Response Campus
Wayne State Press Box
Detroit, Michigan
Out with the old, and in with the new.
Project Info:
Location:
Detroit, Michigan
Project size: 2,052 sq. ft.
Number of modules: 2
Detroit, Michigan
Wayne State University is a major institution of higher education in the Detroit area. It is Michigan’s only urban public research university. They have a growing athletics department with a variety of programs to serve the rapidly expanding student population.
Building includes:
- press boxes
- ticket booths - concession stands
The
Challenge
Usability + Durability
Wayne State’s grandstand was built in the late 1960s, as was their press box. The press box was deemed temporary until the late 1990s when strong winds and accumulating age turned temporary into unusable.
With a growing athletics program, the school wanted a facility that would reflect positively on their programs, building pride in students and presenting a strong face to recruits. The school obtained bids for a site-built structure and immediately suffered “sticker shock”.
The
Solution
Experience + Abilities
By chance, Wayne State requested a bid from an architectural firm that was familiar with
modular, prefabricated commercial structures. The prefab price was within the school’s budget, so the project proceeded. And it went forward quickly: from the first support beams going up to the ribbon cutting ceremony - a mere two weeks passed.
The two-story building features almost 1,600 sq. ft. of space with a Presidential suite, ample room for the press, areas for opposing coaches, and rooms for cameramen and scoreboard operators.
