5.14.09 | Ebensburg, PA | Two exceptionally energy-efficient sports facilities, designed and engineered by L. Robert Kimball & Associates, an architecture, engineering, technology and consulting firm, have earned accolades this month because of their flexible design and energy-saving features.

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, in State College, Pa., has been named the top-rated ballpark for short-season/rookie A-level professional teams by Baseball America, the premier publication for the baseball industry. The park serves as home field both for the minor-league State College Spikes of the New York-Penn League and for the Pennsylvania State University's Nittany Lions ballclub. Medlar Field at Lubrano Park is the first professional -- and college -- baseball stadium to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification by the United States Green Building Council for the green techniques used in its construction and operations.

Featured in Sports Business Journal's special green issue, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park was ahead of its time in its emphasis on environmental concerns. "The entire country has finally caught onto sustainability, especially with the President's initiative," said Kimball's lead professional on the ballpark project, Senior Vice President/Principal, Sports Architecture, Chris Haupt. "Most universities now have made sustainability their policy for their buildings, and the sports industry is now following suit."

Additionally, Kimball's Penn State Recreation Hall Wrestling and Student Fitness Center addition and renovation earned LEED gold certification this month. The 2006 project entailed renovation of the facility's varsity wrestling practice area, varsity athletics weight training and cardio facility, aerobics center, equipment room and locker room. The design created a dedicated wrestling complex, significantly elevating the capabilities and conveniences of Rec Hall and improving its ability to attract wrestling recruits and students in general.

The honors reflect the burgeoning recognition across the nation of Kimball's expertise in designing and building 3,000-to-8,000-seat arenas and ballparks, with an emphasis on green techniques and energy efficiency.

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park green credentials

The 5,500-seat Medlar Field topped a list of 67 facilities eligible for consideration for the Baseball America honor. Those kudos follow the naming of the park as one of America's top ten for collegiate baseball by Yahoo's Rivals.com site. The field also has received a citation for design excellence from American School and University magazine.

The field's green credentials included exceeding -- by a great margin -- the standard ratio for undisturbed land to building site, exceeding the required energy-efficiency code by as much as 10 percent, use of recycled materials as well as local materials that reduce the pollution involved in transporting supplies by truck, and other energy-saving measures.

Rec Hall is greener with natural lighting

The Rec Hall project incorporated an energy-efficient glass facade that has become a beacon for campus sports and fitness activities. The triple-glazed, low-e glass, which eliminates the greenhouse effect that might otherwise trap heat, enables the facility to avoid the need for artificial light for most of the day. The glass sheath reduces the heat gain from lighting so that less cooling is required. The LEED certification also gave the project credit for minimal site disturbance, access via public transportation (buses, bicycles and sidewalks), re-use of existing facilities (rehabbing and improving an older building), exceeding the energy-efficiency criteria required by code, use of recycled materials (including recycled rubber in the fitness-area floor), and use of low-flow fixtures for all plumbing.

Kimball renovated about 20 percent of the old Rec Hall building, some 26,800 square feet, and added 19,800 square feet of new, energy-efficient space that created a new entrance to guide people to the second-level gymnasium for wrestling and volleyball. The two-story, club-like fitness center is connected with a monumental staircase.

"As with Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, Rec Hall was ahead of the curve," said Haupt. "Before these two projects were in their design phase, only one or two college sports facilities had earned LEED certification. In the LEED arena, Kimball is a forerunner."

In both the Medlar Field at Lubrano Park and Rec Hall projects, Kimball employed an extensive array of its diverse capabilities. For Medlar Field, Kimball was the lead firm responsible for architectural design, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, landscape architecture, civil engineering, surveying, geotechnical services and traffic engineering. The associated firm of the DLR Group provided sports facility programming assistance, interior design and structural engineering. For Rec Hall, Kimball services included architecture, interior design, structural engineering, civil engineering, landscaping, electrical systems and plumbing.

Luxuries in an energy-efficient ballpark

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park presented a challenge to designers, who needed to make it fit both pro-ball and college requirements. Since the seasons of the two home teams do not overlap, they are able to share common showers, weight rooms, training rooms and other facilities; but the park incorporates three locker rooms: one for the Spikes, one for Penn State and another for visitors to limit interaction between pro recruiters and college players.

The single A class Medlar Field is comparable to the ballparks of AA teams in terms of its scope and amenities. It comprises full-service themed concessions, a 600-person picnic area with its own commissary, 18 luxury suites, two party suites and a press box enclosed in a highly impact-resistant glass and exterior finishes, a large "fun deck" accommodating hundreds of people, , and high barstools and LCD screens for each seat above the first-base-side bullpen.

Since its opening season in 2006, Medlar Field at Lubrano Park has generated one of the highest per-capita revenue rates in the league for the Spikes, has led to an increase in the quality of recruits and attendance for Penn State, and has proved to be a park that fans love. "I haven't heard a bad report from a fan yet," said Haupt.

The ballpark is adjacent to Penn State's Beaver Stadium and offers a spectacular view of Mount Nittany beyond the centerfield fence.

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About L. Robert Kimball & Associates

Established in 1953, L. Robert Kimball & Associates is among the nation's leading professional service companies offering its clients architectural and engineering design services, civil, environmental and transportation engineering expertise, public safety consulting and communications technology solutions. Kimball is committed to offering its diverse public and private-sector clients a tailored approach designed to meet their needs and budget. Headquartered in Ebensburg, Pa., the company has 12 locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. www.kimballcorp.com