Max Wave Media, an architectural visualizations company, created a digital animation and rendering of Tech's new indoor practice facility. It is baller.
I poked through Max Wave Media's website and they have a history of doing this type of work for college's, but I haven't confirmed this as official, but the production quality is high.
Update: 10:30 AM, Bitter confirms it's not the final design.
The winning architect is HKS. The winning builder is W.M. Jordan. Hop to have more pictures and/or videos of the actual design soon. #Hokies— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) March 26, 2014
So, that video circulating of the #Hokies indoor football practice facility IS NOT the final design. The picture that's out there is.— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) March 26, 2014
Check out what's coming to Blacksburg before the 2015 season #alwaysupgrading #justthebeginning pic.twitter.com/Mh2WlDLQGN— Aaron Moorehead (@Amo8685) March 25, 2014
Comments
I like that they are using our old unis from 2008
they need maroon pants tho
As I stated in the other thread...
White end zones with maroon 'VIRGINIA TECH' and a giant maroon VT at midfield. I've never seen that design before. Sign of things to come?
Personally, it should be a maroon end zone with a white 'VIRGINIA TECH' and a giant ass maroon VT at midfield with maroon-orange-maroon stripes at the 25 and a maroon border around the field.
I'm a bit confused as to why this won't connect to the locker room expansion.
A: Just why? They will take 5 steps across a sidewalk and will be there. B: Unless they put an overhang that had doors that allowed large vehicles to go through, it wouldn't be feasible for what we have to do sometimes back there. Some delivery trucks back all the way up that sidewalk as well as different departments use their golf carts and stuff to get around back there.
A) because the extension is now completely facing a wall and is not even remotely going to be a nice space to be in between or to look at from window or balcony. b) could have done a sky bridge connection thing with elevated viewing deck. that way wouldn't have affected the logistical issues of deliveries below. just one idea.
If you are referring to the balcony, I think with the amount of glass they are installing, there will be a clear view into the field. Although, I'd imagine all the coaches and players will actually be out at practice and not in the players lounge. I understand that that path basically becomes a "wasted" space, but its just a walk path that is used for players to get to the locker room and for staff to take out trash and transport stuff. Don't see why it needs to be a "nice" space to be between.
Yep I understand what you mean and I agree with what you're saying. But if I could choose between looking at a wall, even a glass facade, and looking across open practice fields to an unimpeded view of Lane Stadium, I would choose the latter.
So it was a nice space and now a wasted space. anyway, water under the bridge now.
I got some flavor of AT&T stadium in Dallas-light, airy, open.
I like it.
Does it jab an elbow into the Stadium woods though? (and he runs away ducking.....)
The video appears to be private now. Anyone have the password or got a chance to download it before?
Andy Bitter just tweeted that video isn't actual design but the pic is.
Fun Fact of the day: WM Jordan is the company Michael Vick worked for during his work release.
Congrats to WM Jordan! They have a strong Hokie alumni presence .
I'm sorry, but having this post right after slicktrip's post is hilarious.
Hahaha, well VTimHokie85's response is probably the main reason for my response being a fact.
I'm not a huge fan of them cutting off half of the existing practice field, to put this in. Being at every practice for a good 4 years, they need every bit of the grass field that they have. This is an older picture, but basically you can see how much of the field they are going to chop off by starting the outerwall probably at what looks like where coach Beamer's tower is.
To be fair, the weather in Blacksburg is far from predictable, I can't blame them for wanting an indoor field. I think it's a great idea and I do think it would help in the recruiting process. If the sketch is anything like it will look, I can't see why you wouldn't want to play in that.
Oh I understand the need for the indoor facility. If you ever sit in that tower in late Nov./Dec. or even in March for an entire practice you know about the need for the facility. Or if you ever had to lug every piece of practice equipment to the field house in the pouring rain and mud, you get the need for the field house.
I am just not a huge fan of cutting off what looks like 100 yards of space of the existing field. It's going to tear up the existing grass really quick. I hope we still practice outside in the cold when that bad boy is up and running though. Keeps us tougher in the colder games.
I've never been a fan of this location. I think it's a terrible selection.
I agree. It seems kind of counter productive to take away existing practice space for it. I'm excited for an indoor practice facility but it would be way better if it was additional practice space, not just a modification of our existing space. But I guess there's only so much we could do with the tree huggers standing their ground.
Also, I agree on practicing outside in the cold. We play in the cold so we should still practice in the cold.
There is nothing to say that they will keep that space heated necessarily. It reduces dealing with the elements of rain, snow, wind but I could see them having the option to not have the heat on.
I share the sentiment that this is a poor location. All it has going for it is proximity. As for the trees, they should be preserved.
Building it next to the south endzone would have been perfectly fine solution, aside from a 5 minute walk / 2 minute jog, under the cover of the east stands, to get there when lightning started up.
Agreed.
Located in the south lot or in cassell lot was my preference as well.
From what I recall, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, two large outer doors can be raised during decent weather to allow the use of the current practice fields, most of which will be outdoors with a little over a third extending into the indoor facility.
During bad weather, the doors will be shut and practice will be held on the single indoor field.
Unfortunately, if the picture is the real design then the problem is that the intent of the compromise just got royally phucked. The building was promised to have large hangar like doors that could open the width of the fields so that the two outer fields could extend inward to become two full length fields.
However, in the image you clearly can see heavy facade work that will prohibit this from ever happening. I voiced my displeasure previously (another thread) on the process of how the compromise location was selected and now from a purely design perspective I am very disappointed.
Not to mention that the locker room extension is also getting royally phucked over as well. Seriously not a fan of this so far.
I'm still not really sure where this was ever promised. Considering this is what they went with, they obviously felt it was what they wanted and I'm sure Frank and his staff put their input into it. This place has a tier for camera work so the camera guys don't have to go up on cranes anymore. There is a coaches tower that allows them to look both inside and outside. There are 5 hangar doors that are meant for the athletes to go inside/outside, stadium lighting and sound inside, stadium lighting outside, storage area for equipment and it is going to be able to be used by multiple sports. From the renderings they showed in the meeting, it is going to be a nice facility and complement the program well.
Also, how is the locker room extension getting "royally phucked?" The players will now go 5 feet to an indoor facility instead of having to go all the way down to Rector. The only view that gets obstructed (which with all the glass, won't be by much) is the second floor lounge. The same lounge that barely gets used other than for players to grab a quick bite to eat and is usually empty to my knowledge on game days. Sam was in there today and he is the first person I've really seen use it in my time here.
I think you are conflating the term hangar door with structures that are best described as garage doors. Hangar doors are 50-60ft tall and 50-100ft wide... The doors in the illustration look to be 10-15 feet high and 20-30 feet wide. Certainly not large enough to play football through.
The locker room expansion included a balcony plaza that overlooked the practice fields with a great view of Lane Stadium. Now that balcony is going to be penned in by Cassell, Merryman and the new practice facility, with no views of anything except concrete.
Yeah, they are just the same retractable doors like they have in the hitting facility that overlooks English Field. I don't know if playing football through was ever an idea. I know I have seen it on here a lot, but I don't think that was every a realistic expectation from the Athletic Department. Either way it is moot.
I'm well aware of the balcony. It is an extension of the lounge and just like the lounge, rarely gets used. I'd much rather have an indoor facility that is beneficial for most of the Athletic Department than have a view that doesn't get used. The whole point of the locker room expansion was to have a better locker room area, which I can say it is(it may not be Oregon or Alabama, but it is pretty damn nice) and gave wrestling a pretty nice penthouse up top. The lounge and balcony are just a product of having the space for it. It is starting to get more use by the nutritionist as the players have bagels and such for them to snack on, but other than Rogers studying in there today, I haven't seen it used much. They put in some of round plastic tables in there, so maybe they are going to try and use it more. I would say there is still going to be some view from the balcony once construction is complete, but you just won't see Lane from the whole balcony. There is a corner of the balcony that will still see everything as well as an area before you get to the lounge which you will be able to see everything(Lane, indoor and outdoor practice fields).
They showed the renderings in the department meeting on Tuesday and Whit and everyone else seemed pretty excited about getting this thing built.
I think this is more of a designer issue. Both DBU and I are from the design world and I think we see that this building has more compromises to what's existing than what it offers in terms of proximity.
And correct me if I'm wrong, but Beamer's first choice was the woods and his second choice was the tennis courts. He never actually wanted the building on the existing practice fields.
Regarding the usage of the lounge I couldn't say, but that seems like a solvable problem within the football program. I dislike the notion that since it's not used very much it doesn't matter that we completely block it's view to Lane Stadium, one of it's original selling points. VT spent a lot of money on the new locker room and lounge. If it's not being used then find a new way to use it.
That field is still there, just half of it us in the shade now. Considering the increase in serious heat stroke/practice issues, I hope this advantage is used wisely.
No I agree with you, I know that it could be a beast in that tower. Anywhere on that campus during that time is brutal much less up high. I remember a night game in college against East Carolina where I was sure I lost my toes.
I'm sure that they will still practice outside some during the cold. I don't think we'll have a problem in cold games, we never tend to. I think that is one of our advantages, and I don't think they are going to want to lose that advantage.
**Will the union players play indoors and the non union players be stuck outside?