Executive Summary
Our design of Homefield Kansas City combines our various areas of expertise to create a single facility that meets diverse needs. It provides an elevated training experience through dedicated athletic spaces, keeping the themes of Speed, Strength, and Agility at the forefront. The facility offers parents and families a better spectator experience with concessions, a lounge with a full kitchen and bar, and a premium VIP members’ area.¬
The 150,000-square-foot facility includes 60,000 square feet of open court space, a 4,000-square-foot Athlete Zone lounge with dining and gaming areas, and 3,000 square feet of physical therapy tenant space. It also houses a restaurant and concession area, as well as a private member lounge with an additional private conference room. We designed a 229-foot structural clear span over the open courts and an AI-automated streaming camera system for game coverage on all courts. Founded and headquartered in Kansas City, we leveraged our extensive experience in designing professional and collegiate athletic training facilities, stadiums, ballparks, and arenas to create a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art facility for our community.
Submitting Organization: Populous
Photo Credits: Matt Kocourek
Detailed Nomination
The Homefield venue looks to shake up the category of youth sports and create a stepping stone between amateur and collegiate sports. It provides an elevated training experience through dedicated athletic spaces, keeping the themes of Speed, Strength, and Agility at the forefront. The facility offers parents and families a better spectator experience with concessions, a lounge with a full kitchen and bar, and a premium VIP members’ area.
Designed and built during the pandemic, the Homefield facility was diminished in scope from its original concept due to the rising cost of construction. The design was approached through a strategic lens for cost savings, so the integration of impactful graphics was used to be visually effective without feeling overbranded. The architecture of the building is boxy in nature, but the interior design successfully elevates the look and feel through powerful environmental graphics and signage.
The architecture, interior design and graphics are fine-tuned to balance the edginess and individuality of collegiate sports with the innocence and team focus of youth athletics. Each of the building’s spaces is designed with functionality in mind and is tailored to the end user. Multiple spaces are adaptable for future uses as well, including the flexibility to host concerts, banquets, and conventions in the future.
The lobby on the first floor is a gathering hub for athletes, teams and families, with a grandstand and inspiring Kansas City mural that serves as a photo opportunity. Youth athletes enter through a ‘hype tunnel’ to the first floor, while parents are directed to the second floor to watch their kids compete and train from the dedicated seating. The divide between ‘Athlete Only’ and the general public is an intentional part of the communication strategy, giving kids the feeling that they are training and competing in an elite professional facility. Physical therapy and strengthening rooms support the athletes’ conditioning needs in a way that is unseen in youth sports.
The athlete training and competition spaces have dark charcoal walls punctuated by graphic touches of blue and red to create an environment that is lively but focused. The design is simple and punchy to create an enveloping space for play, using a red line detail that carries through from overhead beams to wall graphics and court lines. The athletes’ lounge uses a start black-and-white scheme with mesh and dark tiles to create an edgy but relaxed environment.
The second floor is lighter in color, punctuated by subtler graphic blue patterns amid the seating area, individual concessions and public lounge that highlight a diverse offering within the Homefield system. Wood finishes scattered throughout soften the look of the lounges and family areas. The messaging is focused on enjoyment and encouraging friendly competition.
With a max capacity of 16,000 people using the venue every weekend, Homefield has found success in its unique offering. The design of the Kansas City location is intended to serve as a prototype for the eventual expansion of the Homefield brand across the country, elevating youth athletics into a spectator sport for parents everywhere.
