Practice Gym Renovation
Challenge
If practice makes perfect, the training gym was making it hard for UC athletics to achieve perfection. A core facility of the volleyball and basketball teams, the uninviting space was hardly a selling point for potential top-tier recruits. On top of that, underwhelming soundproofing made it difficult to hold an effective practice. Reverberating sound from just one dribbled basketball was loud enough that coaches had to shout to be heard across court. Factor in multiple practice exercises occurring simultaneously and even communicating with someone nearby proved difficult.
Response
Sound metering dictated the amount of additional sound baffling that would be needed to make the gym usable. The testing revealed that the existing panels were not only vastly insufficient in number but also very inefficient in reducing noise. Covering every inch of the walls with more of the same panels would not bring the sound levels down to an acceptable level. Specifying a different material provided the requisite sound dampening, but presented a new challenge: creating a layout that would provide the necessary amount of new material while visually incorporating the old panels with the new. A uniform layout of existing panels established a unifying grid for aligning new panels. Different intervals were explored to discover the most cohesive result. A bright coat of paint and improved lighting sets the stage for the space to shine. Branded graphics elevate the formerly generic gym to a credible facility, reinforcing the affiliation with the university athletics department. Banners bearing celebratory stats highlight each team’s accomplishments while banners featuring the UC athletics mark, the “C-Paw”, unite them together as Bearcats.