Santa Barbara, CA

The new Intercollegiate Athletics Building on the UCSB campus consolidates the Athletic Department’s programmatic and symbolic presence in one building. Encompassing offices for both administrative and coaching staffs, student-life space, weight training, and therapeutic training facilities; the new 43,000 sf facility is situated adjacent to a future pedestrian thoroughfare connecting the campus’s north and south halves and creating a symbolic gateway between academic and athletic facilities. A palm-tree alée visually strengthens the connection between the IAB and the existing Robertson Gymnasium by creating a processional entry to the athletic fields and facilities beyond.

A sequence of courtyards and patios reflects Santa Barbara’s regional vernacular and climate. Scale, color, and materials complement the existing gymnasium while offering a new and dynamic interpretation of the existing architectural language, continuing the long, floating lines of the gym’s horizontal roof with a similar floating motif energized by new architectural activity. Congruent with the spirit of sport, the relationship between old and new is both competitive and respectful.