Few programs have the historic success and impact that the basketball program has had on the institutional identity of UCLA. As the program grew it needed dedicated support spaces for training, wellness, and education. The design for a new state-of-the-art joint basketball practice facility for this university’s top ranked women’s and men’s teams is a signature armature that anchors the growing athletics precinct in the heart of campus. The building not only provides the men’s and women’s basketball teams with vital resources, but also frees up facility access for other programs and student-athletes in other campus buildings. With approximately 35,000 gross square feet of space, the practice facility stands in a narrow strip of land near the basketball stadium and is adjacent to a new football training center. 

Two unique design elements arose from extensive site studies by the team. First, we placed both practice courts on the ground level, which kept costs in line as the project moved forward. Second, we minimized energy demand throughout the day via the development of north facing skylights to ensure high levels of glare-free, indirect daylight, which is critical for practices that occur throughout the day. The building includes men’s and women’s practice gyms, locker rooms, separate conference rooms that overlook each court, a film room, an athletic training room, and a nutrition center. 

High performance both inside and out, the training center’s exterior is clad in custom molded thin panels of glass fiber reinforced concrete that are pre-fabricated off site and erected on site, thus keeping down costs while creating a unique, warm undulating pattern. Inside, ETFE, easily recyclable and long-lasting, is installed in the skylights to provide ample glare-free natural light into the practice courts. Above the entry is the highly specialized weight room that is flooded with natural light.