Vanderbilt University Huber Center

Framework for Design Excellence Narrative

INTEGRATION

The Huber Center emerged from Vanderbilt University’s vision to create more than just a basketball training facility—it was to be a unifying, community-building anchor for the entire athletics district. The client challenged us to rethink every square foot for greater impact—functionally, financially, and culturally. Confronted with a complex, triangular site in the stadium’s north end zone, we embraced a vertically stacked design that preserved valuable land and forged new levels of connectivity.

The result is a facility that blends seamlessly with Vanderbilt’s historic architecture while setting a bold tone for future development. Inside, it unites men’s and women’s programs with equal space and visibility, reinforcing the university’s commitment to equity. Shared areas like the atrium and event-ready lobby foster everyday interaction and game-day energy.  Since opening, the Huber Center has elevated the athlete experience, supported recruiting, and created a sense of cohesion within the athletics village. It exemplifies design excellence through intentional simplicity, long-term adaptability, and an unwavering focus on community and performance.

 

Sustainability in the Huber Center is rooted in performance-driven, context-sensitive design. The vertically stacked layout reduces the building’s footprint, conserving campus green space and reducing site disturbance. This compact massing also minimizes exterior envelope exposure, enhancing thermal efficiency. Inside, strategic zoning separates high and low intensity program areas, optimizing mechanical performance and reducing energy loads. The use of translucent polycarbonate in the courts introduces natural light deep into the building—reducing reliance on artificial lighting. Materials were selected for durability and low embodied carbon, aligning with long-term maintenance and environmental goals. Multi-use spaces like the event-capable lobby further maximize space utilization, allowing the building to serve different functions. Every architectural move—down to operable elements that adapt to seasonal shifts—was designed to reduce energy consumption, enhance occupant comfort, and ensure resilience. In doing so, the LEED Gold certified project not only supports athletes and the university community but sets a standard for sustainable athletic facility design.

 

 

EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES \n The integration of natural wood was a key element to the project both architecturally and in the landscape elements. Ipe was originally being considered for the exterior elements due to its strong durability, but the decision was made to move to Thermally Modified Ash instead

One of the project’s core design principles was ensuring equity between the Men’s and Women’s programs. The building’s layout—dedicated team levels with a shared central level and stacked basketball courts—supports this goal by providing equal access to all facilities for each team. Additionally, as part of the site design, the sole pedestrian path connecting the main and athletic campuses was upgraded with better lighting, wider accessible walkways, and enhanced landscaping to strengthen the connection between the two.

 

ECOSYSTEMS \n Vanderbilt’s main campus is a certified arboretum with over 6,000 trees and shrubs, but historically this had not extended to the athletic campus. A key goal of the project was to bring those principles to the Athletics Village. The design includes 30% open space, over 38% of which is planted with native or adapted species. Natural bioswales throughout the site manage rainwater and are planted exclusively with native vegetation, reinforcing the campus's sustainable and ecological vision.

 

WATER \n The design exceeds code requirements for low flow and flush indoor fixtures as well as irrigation design for outdoor water use. All fixtures and appliances that were eligible for WaterSense or Energy Star are rated or performance equivalent. The project in total is estimated to save over 139,612 gallons per year in potable water use as compared to a code minimum project building design. The stormwater management design exceeds local requirements by retaining the on-site rainfall for the 90th percentile storm event through bioretention and pervious pavers. These low-impact / green infrastructures create habitat and prompt groundwater recharge efforts.

 

ECONOMY \n A basketball practice facility located in a football stadium end zone presents a rare opportunity. Shared spaces like the main lobby, team dining, and covered terrace serve daily team needs while transforming on game days into revenue-generating areas—such as grab-and-go markets and premium clubs. Designed with access and security in mind, these spaces also support year-round events like recruiting and donor gatherings without disrupting team operations.  Designing the building with this flexibility in mind reduces the built area by allowing for multiple functions throughout the year.  

 

ENERGY \n Chilled water and heating hot water are provided by connection to the campus chilled/hot water systems. The mechanical system consists of VAV AHUs with heating hot water terminal units, single-zone variable volume AHUs, hot water unit heaters, a 100% OSA unit with ERV and HW terminal units, and another DOAS unit providing ventilation to CHW/HHW fan coil units throughout the project. All systems are connected to the BAS for continuous monitoring and tracking. Designed for load reductions through enhanced glazing and enclosure thermal properties, lower lighting power, and low flow plumbing fixtures. Roof areas are designed for future PV solar arrays.

Connections to district energy plants are not properly accounted for in the AIA EUI benchmarking references used in this application. From actual energy modeling results of energy code Baseline the EUI would be 94.7 kBtu/sf/yr, instead of 39.6 kBtu/sf/yr.  The AIA benchmark would then correspondingly update to align with a 50% savings of code compliant building based on the updated Baseline, 189.4 kBtu/sf/yr. Using this updated EUI, the project shows a reduction of 47.5%. Energy modeling performed throughout the design process provided continuous input to the design for incremental and cost-effective load reduction measures for the project.

 

WELLBEING \n The project materials were specified to minimize impacts to human health through low emitting materials for flooring, wall panels, ceilings and insulation as well as increased material ingredients transparency and optimization for the project. A daylighting analysis was performed and estimates the design to include over 66% of regularly occupied area with an sDA300/50% and an average ASE of 4.87%. At least 72% of the regularly occupied area has access to quality views. The project is pursuing Fitwel 2 Star certification with optimized design strategies for stairs, indoor environment, workspaces, shared and outdoor spaces.

 

RESOURCES \n The project materials were specified to reduce embodied carbon through EPDs and material LCA optimizations for insulation, door hardware, flooring, ceiling tiles, and metal framing. The project implemented a construction waste diversion plan and achieved a 56% construction and demolition waste diversion rate. The project includes programming to support on-going recycling and waste diversion efforts for the occupants.

The deliberate embrace of a timber structure echoes a sustainable narrative, offering not just structural integrity but also a nod to nature through its renewable and low-carbon footprint.  10% of the existing infrastructure was reused in the development of this facility.  An LCA was conducted, and embodied carbon was predicted to be 3,516,814 kg-CO2e.

 

CHANGE \n A common challenge in designing collegiate sports projects is the inevitable turnover in staff and coaches. With this comes changes in philosophies and building needs. Knowing that this is common, the building was designed with flexibility in mind.  The intentional lifespan of the building is 100 years, despite how future users may decide to occupy the space.

 

DISCOVERY

At Vanderbilt, we've had the rare opportunity to design multiple athletic projects in tandem, allowing us to shape a cohesive vision for the Athletics Village. Close collaboration with campus partners led to a unifying architectural framework, with the Huber Center setting the tone for what’s to come. As the first major project, it has also served as a valuable testing ground—revealing insights that are already influencing future designs, from integrating more flexible, multi-use spaces to improving building systems coordination and streamlining long-term maintenance.

LEED/Green Certifications

LEED Gold

Price/sq. ft. if provided

$926