Inside Edition
notebook
CAMPUS
Who says athletes suffer from New Hampshire’s long winters?
Permit problems, angry neighbors, lawyers, and a $27-million price tag couldn’t stop the Dartmouth Indoor Practice Facility from rising. Located next to Boss Tennis Center and Scully-Fahey Field, the sleek new building is ready for its closeup. Athletes on at least eight varsity teams, as well as club sports teams, now lay claim to having the largest indoor athletic playground in the Ivy League.
SUPER-SIZED
The sunken building features 70,000 square feet, a 63-foot ceiling (try punting a football that high), and 56,000 square feet of turf—nearly three times the size of Leverone’s field.
A SOURCE OF ENERGY
Approximately 1,700 solar panels cover nearly the entire low-sloping roof and provide 555,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. That’s more than 40 percent of the building’s energy needs for a full year.
HIDDEN GEMS
The field includes a retractable goalpost for football and rugby, as well as a giant curtain to split the turf for dual use. Other features include two baseball and softball batting tunnels, a training room, viewing gallery, and filming platforms.
READY FOR ACTION
“It’s a game-changer,” says baseball coach Bob Whalen. “When I entered the building for the first time, it reminded me of going to Fenway Park for the first time as a boy. It’s like walking up the concrete ramp behind home plate at Fenway and the first thing you see is the 'Green Monster,’ even before you see the field. You never forget it."
NAME GAME
The building did not win the name lottery. “The Wood Shed” and “The Greenhouse” have already become favored nicknames for the new structure, which has yet to be formally dedicated.
CREDIT IS DUE
Bill Massey of Sasaki Associates served as the lead architect. “We’re really proud of this building,” he says, noting the attention paid to acoustics, lighting, and indoor air quality. In April 2020 Engelberth Construction completed the project, which should see a lot of action once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
