One of the largest projects in the history of Binghamton University will begin in early summer 2000, as Welliver McGuire Inc. of Elmira, the general contractor, begins to construct the $26.5 million, 156,000-square-foot field house. The building was designed by Einhorn, Yaffee & Prescott Architects and Engineers of New York City.

“The architects have come up with a contemporary design,” said Dick Surine, Physical Facilities staff architect. “The facility will be made of metal panels, masonry and glazing.”

Glazing is a mixture of different glass types. Seven hundred tons of structural steel in the form of bowstring trusses will support the roof, allowing for a “clear span” or unobstructed view of events in the facility. The field house will be located just north of parking Lot F and adjacent to the West Gym and tennis courts.

“We want the campus and the community to have a good understanding of the massive scope of this project,” said Lawrence Roma, assistant vice president for Physical Facilities. “The building will enclose a 50,000-square-foot area or a little more than an acre. At its highest point, the field house will be 65 feet or about as tall as a six-story building and readily visible from the Vestal Parkway and Route 201.

“This project has broken a lot of records already,” said Michael Scullard, vice president for administration. “The architect selection process was completed six months ahead of schedule and the design time was cut in half.”

The field house will have three levels. Visitors will enter from the south on the upper or concourse level. The ticket booth, concession stands, public restrooms, some administrative offices, a student services area and classrooms will be located at this level. The middle or mezzanine level will include coaches’ offices.

The track infield is a multi-purpose area that can be used for basketball, tennis and other activities. A series of curtains will allow areas to be sectioned off for different uses. Around the perimeter, there will be a variety of seating types in the field house including bleachers and seats with backs. A portion of the seating will be somewhat mobile so it can be appropriately positioned for many different events. When the building is set up for basketball for example, nearly 6,000 seats will be available. For an event like Commencement, the building could be configured to seat more than 8,000 by adding seats to the floor surface.

There are more than 4,600 parking spaces within a 10- to 15-minute walk of the proposed field house location. Construction will get underway in mid summer, and is expected to take three-and-a-half to four years. In anticipation of the project, some work has already been completed. Last summer, Physical Facilities re-graded and re-seeded soccer fields #3 and #4 so they could be used by the varsity teams. The field jouse will be situated on soccer field #1. The construction staging area will temporarily occupy soccer field #2.

“Once work on the field house begins, 78 percent of the University’s capital plan will be under active construction,” said Roma. “This is an exciting time for the University and the community as we see the future literally taking shape before our eyes.”

Field House Facts

The field house was designed by Einhorn, Yaffee & Prescott Architects and Engineers, a New York City Firm. The general contractor is Welliver McGuire Inc. of Elmira. The field house is 156,000 square feet. A little over an acre will be under cover. At its highest point the field house is 65 feet, or about as tall as a six story building. The building design is contemporary. It will be made of a number of materials including steel, masonry, metal panels and glazing. A bowstring-steel-truss roof will allow for an unobstructed view of events. The field house will have three levels.

Concourse Level. This is the upper level of the building where visitors will enter. The ticket booth, concession stands, public restrooms, some administrative offices, a student services area and classrooms will be located at this level.

Mezzanine Level. The middle level of the building will provide space for coaches’ offices and mechanical rooms.

Event Level. The lowest level features a 200-meter track and a multi-purpose area that can be used for a number of activities. A series of curtains will allow areas to be sectioned off for different uses. Around the perimeter of the event level are team locker rooms, athletic and strength training rooms, meeting areas, showers, equipment storage space, a hydrotherapy room and mechanical rooms.

Location
The field house will be situated just north of parking lot F and adjacent to the West Gym and tennis courts.

Seating
The field house will have a variety of seating types including bleachers and seats with backs. A portion of the seating will be mobile so it can be appropriately positioned for different events. For example, when the building is configured for basketball, nearly 6,000 seats are available. For an event like Commencement, as many as 8,000 people could be seated.

Parking
There will no net gain or loss of parking spaces overall. Parking lot F will lose about 18 spaces during construction. However, the spaces will be replaced on the west side of the building. There are more than 4,600 parking spaces within a ten to 15 minute walk of the facility.

Timetable
Groundbreaking will take place on June 7 with construction getting underway in mid-summer. Construction of the field house will take two to three years.