In Centennial Park in the city of Pompano Beach, Florida, a 10-acre lot becomes the Youth Sports Complex with soccer, football, and lacrosse fields. The project finds its formal identity in the Youth Sports Field House which, with its sculptural and playful design, represents the town's commitment to investing in youth programs
Located within the Youth Sports Complex, which will host large-scale sports events and tournaments with up to 1000 participants, the Youth Sports Field House designed by the Brooks + Scarpa studio is dedicated to concessions, offices, warehouses, and restrooms. Its structure serves as signage for the activities of the sports park: the yellow-painted metal facade prominently features the YSC acronym, visible even from the nearby Tenth Street
The creative collective Brooks + Scarpa, winners of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award and authors of architectural projects at every scale, design a raw concrete shell shaped like a table for the Youth Sports Field House, creating a sculptural and playful facade. On the north elevation, the facade dematerializes into a metal lattice structure that shines in the same yellow hue as the excavated "belly" of the Field House
An enveloping porch, created by the concrete shell, equipped with high-speed fans provides respite from the sun and the elements for athletes and spectators. A concession area and office space overlook the fields and parking areas; the latter also occasionally serve the Sample-McDougal House Museum across the street
The Youth Sports Field House is an attractive building, constructed with highly durable and cost-effective materials for a resilient and sustainable design. For example, the roof is sloped to direct rainwater towards a rain garden that filters it into the groundwater. Mark Beaudreau, Director of the Pompano Beach Recreation program, strongly believes in the momentum this project will provide for the city's youth programs
