UTC Intramural Complex

Tinker Ma joined a collaborative design team for UTC’s new intramural complex next to the historic Engel Stadium in Chattanooga. The complex included multiple site design elements, designed by a national civil engineering and design firm. We worked closely to integrate the buildings into the site. Four designs were required: a clubhouse, a bathroom/maintenance building, a pavilion design and a guardhouse.

The clubhouse would serve as the main entrance into the sports complex and house offices, a meeting room, first-aid, maintenance, equipment rental and bathrooms. The overall language of the building designs relate to the historic Engel stadium much like an original field house or accessory building might, it does not overwhelm the historic structure but sits in complement to it. The clubhouse and bathroom structures have a simple, extruded gable roof with a large overhang and brick veneer which responds to the historic Engel Stadium, while incorporating floor to ceiling glazing at offices and public spaces to allow in light and break the heaviness of the brick material into two portions. The brick veneer is used as a complement to the historic material of Engel, but the modern function of the material is also shown. Stopping the veneer at eight feet accommodates for the concrete block behind it to be seen as well as allowing it to fly past the block wall on the ends, showing its function as a veneer rather than structure. The material palette, simple structural system, and architectural design provided an exceptionally low maintenance building with an unusually long life span for the University. 

*Photo Credit - Morgan Nowland