Middle Tennessee State University Tennis Complex

Framework for Design Excellence Narrative

Design for Economy - doing a really big thing with a very limited budget, pivots and decisions along the way to accommodate that and still make their goals a reality 


One significant challenge with this project - potentially the biggest - was managing the project budget.  The budget for the project was established prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent impact on manufacturing, material costs, and lead times. This meant that even with an early conception of right-sizing and finding efficiencies, there were several pivot points in the design process where we modified and focused the design to highlight only critical elements. This included reducing what was originally a 6,000 sf tennis program center building to a very efficient and compact 4,100 sf. This required an intensive iterative space planning process that allowed for the most efficient exterior envelope area as possible. The design team gained economy through reducing the building height while maintaining the lofted nature of the roof design. WBA made tactical adjustments to these areas to reduce overall exterior cladding costs and reduce glazing system costs. We reduced the exterior overhangs to provide generous shading where needed, but decrease the cost of framing and size of cantilevers. Additionally, the butterfly roof design was adjusted so that the lower half slopes outward instead of inward at a shallow slope - enabling the use of traditional gutter and downspout systems for rainwater drainage rather than a rainwater leader and drainage system inside the building. Additionally as part of this adjustment, standing seam metal roofing was replaced with a TPO roof. However, as part of this change, WBA maintained the design intent by specifying welded TPO “standing seams” on the roof at the same 16” interval spacing as on the wall cladding. 


Similar adjustments were made at the spectator platform, which also had its footprint consolidated. WBA was able to determine that though the facility would have two 4-court batteries, that competitions held at the facility would only utilize 3 of the courts on each battery. Given this, the platform was reduced in length to be aligned 3 courts wide, with no spectator seating centered on courts that would be used primarily for practice purposes. Also, the platform design was changed to a single pour elevated concrete slab that transitions to aluminum bleacher systems at each spectator seating area. This required close coordination in design and construction and delivered significant cost savings for the client.


A major challenge point for the site was the pre-existing electrical service. Most collegiate campus sites will have provisions for 3-phase power, or the budget to bring it to the site. For this project, it was an unexpected cost on the behalf of the owner. The design team was able to strategically pivot to re-orient the mechanical systems toward the single phase power currently on the site and coordinate its impacts on the building interior. This quick pivot in design alleviated a potential stalling point for the project, and delivered a thoughtful solution for MTSU.


Design for Integration - the building and its location on campus and the spectator platform composed together with courts, all tied together conceptually with the Hall of Fame building. The design also influenced the forthcoming Student Athletic Performance Center and upcoming campus concepts for the Athletic campus. 


An important factor established early in the design process was the prominence of the project site on MTSU’s campus. The Tennis Complex sits on the far northwest corner of campus nestled in front of the prominent Murphy Center along Middle Tennessee Boulevard, serving as the North entrance to the University.. At the outset of the project, the facility was an unfortunate landmark only remarkable for its age and deterioration. This provided a fantastic opportunity to have a reciprocal effect and facilitate a beautiful and thoughtfully designed threshold into MTSU’s campus.


The most primary and consistent relationship for the project site is with the Murphy Center, a monumental 1970s campus landmark featuring a brutalist design style. The Tennis Complex shares a primary pedestrian corridor with the Murphy Center and careful attention was given to the utility of that corridor for different scenarios. Design of the Tennis Complex needed to integrate with campus events and operations. Rather than orienting the building entry to the Murphy Center, the building was rotated 90 degrees to allow for a long, angular pathway that branches off and provides an emphatic approach to the Tennis Complex. This pathway celebrates architectural features like the buff colored, utility-sized brick veneer, crisp vertical standing seam metal cladding, continuous glass entry facade, and processional landscaping elements. These architectural features are intended to cultivate a new architectural language specific to MTSU athletics that other projects in construction - like the new Student Athlete Performance Center - adjacent to the Tennis Complex. These projects are incorporating aspects of the material palette to create consistency and establish a clear athletics “village”. With several more athletics projects planned in the coming years, the MTSU Tennis Complex project serves as an anchor for architectural language on its campus.


Design for Equitable Communities - The Tennis  facility is used for camps for K-12 students and community groups outside of MTSU students.  The project includes funding from USTA and went through the USTA review process for equitable and appropriate design across community Tennis Facilities. 


Early in the project programming process, it became clear that the new MTSU Tennis Complex would serve well beyond the utility of the MTSU men’s and women’s tennis programs. The head coaches of each program emphasized that the facility would serve an important and versatile role in the local Murfreesboro tennis community. WBA worked diligently to embrace plans for diverse uses and ensure that the facility would accommodate access for people of all ages and abilities. The project team worked through several rounds of feedback from the USTA, incorporating elements that would enable the facility to be used by various community groups and USTA-associated events. This includes designing a facility that would be able to host events for wheelchair tennis matches, children’s matches, and for the elderly.


Within a few months of the opening of the facility, MTSU had already been able to host a variety of community tennis events. In addition to playing their spring men’s and women’s program matches at the facility, the courts are available to be used by community members throughout the week with a membership program through the school. Additionally, the coaching staff have hosted several camps throughout the summer - some paid and some free to the public. As pickleball has become a growing sport nationally, the facility has also been able to show flexibility and host local pickleball events and matches for fundraisers. The MTSU Tennis Complex has an impact that extends well beyond the men’s and women’s tennis programs, as it has become a hub for community involvement and activity and will be for decades to come.


Design for Resources - durability, safety, equitability

LEED/Green Certifications

This project meets the State of Tennessee’s High Performance Building Requirements. Sustainable features considered during design range from fundamental considerations of siting for wind and solar orientation for the courts, to economized Mechanical systems to support the student space and coach’s offices. The project includes a reduction in permeable surfacing when compared to the prior dilapidated courts, and embraces local plantings to aid in storm water reduction on the north side of campus.