Village concept will create a new avenue to transform the student experience at Rensselaer

Two years ago, the East Campus Athletic Village (ECAV) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute began with the stroke of a shovel. On October 3, the Institute officially unveiled the new facility — the most extensive athletic construction project in Rensselaer history, offering athletic and recreation facilities that will change the student experience dramatically.

ECAV, as the new $92 million complex is known, is the latest in a decade-long physical transformation of Rensselaer. The project involves two phases. The grand opening signifies the end of Phase 1, which includes a multipurpose lighted stadium with field turf and seating for 5,200 and a 1,200 seat basketball arena.

Also, a fully equipped 4,800 square foot strength and conditioning center connects to a professional-caliber sports medicine suite, and within the arena are offices for athletics administrators and coaches, numerous meeting spaces, a new Athletics Hall of Fame, a pro shop and a café.  Renovations to the Houston Field House were also made. Phase 2 will feature an indoor pool, outdoor tennis courts, and an indoor sports facility complete with a track and tennis courts. The time frame for Phase 2 is still being developed.

In recent years Rensselaer has built the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, supporting leading interdisciplinary scientific research; the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC), a transformative cultural and research platform; and the Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations, among the most powerful university-based supercomputers in the world.  The Institute has also upgraded, renovated, and re-purposed many platforms–from classrooms and laboratories to dining halls and residence halls.  All in all, almost $700 million in new and renovated facilities has been invested in realizing The Rensselaer Plan, the strategic planning process launched in 1999.

In welcoming the audience of Rensselaer students, alumni, faculty, staff, coaches, student-athletes, family and friends, and members of the surrounding community to the grand opening ceremony, Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson also shared the reason for building the facility.

“It is often said that it is on the playing fields–and in other athletic venues — that leaders are made,” said President Jackson. “But at Rensselaer, athletics are only part of the equation, because Rensselaer already attracts students who have demonstrated leadership potential. Rensselaer develops that potential through the totality of the student experience–so that our graduates are prepared to become leaders in technologically rooted fields.” 

Jackson also noted that “with this addition to the Troy campus, we continue to transform the student experience, to go beyond the standard, to excel–across the board, in all endeavors–and to do even more to create leaders. At the same time, with the initiation of the village concept, we bring our Rensselaer community together in a new way. Our goal — as with all that are doing to transform Rensselaer for the 21st century–is to create a unique residential undergraduate college within a world-class technological research university.”

The ceremony also paid special tribute to the late Dr. Myles Brand, Rensselaer Class of ’64, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), former president of Indiana University and the University of Oregon, a trustee of Rensselaer, and a member of the Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame. President Jackson noted that “he was a national leader in the worlds of academe and college athletics, and he was a loyal son and devoted friend of Rensselaer.” 

 “Myles Brand was an enthusiastic spokesman for the fund-raising campaign to support this endeavor,” President Jackson said. “He understood that student athletes are scholars, first and foremost. Dr. Brand understood that the playing field yields great lessons for life, and that chief among them is, ‘personal commitment to excellence, and the discipline needed to live up to that commitment each and every day.’

In addition to President Jackson, the ceremony also featured remarks from Samuel Heffner ’56, chairman of the Rensselaer Board of Trustees; Eddie Ade Knowles, vice president for student life; James A. Knowlton, director of athletics; and Michael Zwack ’11, the 143^rd Grand Marshal-the highest elected office in the Rensselaer student government. 

Heffner shared some of his memories as a student at Rensselaer, noting various campus buildings.  “This is a day that the Rensselaer community has dreamed about since I was student, and our newest facility was the Houston Field House — which we obtained as government surplus after the war,” he said. “We added the Harkness Field, and the Mueller Center, but we have not had a comprehensive development of athletics facilities since the construction of the ’87 Gym — that’s the 1887 Gym.”

“This modern complex adds another dimension to our student experience,” he added. “We continue to build a world-class learning community in the pre-eminent, global, technological research university of the 21st century.” 

“ECAV will elevate the Rensselaer student experience–minds, bodies, and spirits–for all of our students–for  varsity athletes, and those who play club sports, for everyone who plays on an intramural team, and for the entire Rensselaer community” Knowles said. “Elevating the quality of the student experience is key to this transformation, and athletics is one avenue toward creating a world-class undergraduate residential community.” 

The new athletic village is a core component of The Rensselaer Plan. The facilities will meet the needs and expectations of current students–more than 75 percent of whom participate in intramurals, club sports, or varsity team sports–and prospective student-athletes.

“The success of the East Campus Athletic Village is–and will continue to be–driven by the hard work and dedication of countless individuals,” said James A. Knowlton, director of athletics. “This magnificent complex is meant for the entire Rensselaer community. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to develop these great intercollegiate, club, and intramural athletes, who will be the leaders of tomorrow.”

 “We are here today because we are acknowledging a key part of the Rensselaer experience; the spirit of achievement of teamwork and finding one’s path,” said Grand Marshal Michael Zwack. “It is not hard to see why athletics finds such a concrete role in the life of an RPI student. We all contribute a part to this cornerstone of campus life. I like to think that the student athletes bring the game, and the rest of us bring the spirit; we all do our part.”

Construction facts about the East Campus Athletic Village
The companies involved in the overall design and construction of the facilities are Sasaki Architects, Whiting-Turner Construction, and Clough Harbor & Associates LLP. All athletic village venues will be built and renovated in accordance with the NCAA, clearing the way for Rensselaer to host additional NCAA tournaments. 

The ECAV facility is expected to achieve LEED silver status. Energy-efficient features include skylights and other design components that maximize the use of natural light. The innovative design for the stadium employs a solar shading screen to control glare and heat from the western sun exposure. The inspiration for the screen design is a DNA genetic bar code.

Additional construction details to note include the arena roof, which is designed to support photovoltaic arrays totaling 14,000 square feet for future electric generation; and the stadium, which can support up to 20 micro wind turbines along its cornice.

Also, natural ventilation reduces reliance on heating and cooling systems. Because planting and other landscaping elements were chosen for their water conservation properties, the facility does not include an irrigation system—a decision that is expected to reduce water consumption by 50 percent. 

Of special note, the project was constructed using 1,767 tons of structural steel, and all wood used for the project was specified as coming from sustainable sources (Forest Steward Council certified). Within ECAV, visitors will rise 30 feet to the Concourse level from Georgian Terrace on a pedestrian ramp and stairs without the use of elevators. The pedestrian ramp rises at a 5 percent grade for 333 feet and is suspended from the building on 27 2-inch solid steel rods.

Phase I of ECAV encloses 176,000 square feet of space and includes two new venues for athletics–a new stadium for football, soccer, and lacrosse, along with the new arena for basketball and indoor events. The venues are all organized around a pedestrian concourse allowing for free circulation and offering additional opportunities for viewing events and socializing.