Creighton University, Ruth Scott Center

For Creighton’s women basketball and volleyball players, the days of missing practice because of a lack of court space ended on Feb. 4, 2019 with the opening of the Ruth Scott Training Center.

After a successful fundraising campaign, with more than 130 donors contributing, Creighton University partnered with LEO A DALY to plan and design this $5 million training facility that added 16,109 SF of space programmed for use exclusively by women’s volleyball and basketball squads. In addition to its highly functional features, architectural flourishes such as a transparent curtain wall make lasting visual impressions on players, coaches and visitors.

LEO A DALY deployed immersive virtual reality technology to allow stakeholders, including donors and athletic department staff, a virtual tour of the facility during the design phase. The VR systems proved useful for amassing support from financial stakeholders, according to Creighton’s Senior Director of Athletic Development Lauren Steier Miltenberger.

“Our donors appreciated seeing what they were being asked to support,” Lauren said.

For athletic department staff, virtual reality informed design decisions, including finishes and the placement of scoreboards and shot clocks.
The Ruth provides:

• Ample daylighting and technology woven throughout
• Lighting designed to be evenly distributed throughout the practice facility
• Automated retractable volleyball nets that lower from the ceiling (one of very few facilities in the country with this feature)
• State-of-the-art Teraflex flooring that offers superior resistance to various loads found in multi-use gymnasiums; shock absorption; and comfort – proven to prevent both short- and long-term injuries for athletes
• Ample padding and space for run-through
• A video screen that allows delayed replay of practice film during training
• A designated wall with a gray stripe painted at standard net height for volleyball, providing athletes a reference point for quick footwork drills or hitting mechanics
• A hydration station and additional storage space

Behind the scenes of The Ruth exists a technology framework seamlessly woven into the architectural fabric without interfering with the structure’s core features. This framework allows audio-visual equipment to record video and audio data. Ongoing 10-second replay allows players to instantly review in slow motion the last action they performed. Players and coaches access replays from designated screens to evaluate and adjust strategies. The facility’s technology infrastructure meets this need and adds flexibility that can help “future proof” the facility for upgrades later.

Working with multiple stakeholders, we had to manage and coordinate this fast-track project on a strict budget. We used a pre-engineered metal structure and precast concrete panels that could be fabricated offsite. Our project team provided drawing packages early in the design phase to solicit key material suppliers.

Accelerated coordination and virtual reality design technology allowed us to complete design in less than four months.

Learn more about the Ruth Scott Training Center from Project Manager Erin Froschheiser in this short video.