 Photo © Farid Sani, Photo courtesy Tubelite Inc. East Carolina University’s (ECU’s) 2019 home football season ushered in the beginning of a new era for Pirates fans at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. The $60-million renovation added 1000 seats on the south side of the TowneBank Tower. Designed by architectural firm LS3P Associates of Wilmington, North Carolina, the Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium south side renovation project team also involved AECOM. LS3P specified the curtain wall, storefront, ribbon windows, and entrance systems. These aluminum-framed fenestration products were installed on the public façade, and on the interior glazing systems. According to the glazing contractor, it was a challenging project from the early stages. The system needed to load structurally and withstand the stacking pressures at the top/press level of the tower on the field side. The curtain wall manufacturer pre-engineered an inside glazed system to meet the project’s performance requirements, construction schedule, and budget. With respect to future building maintenance, the exterior curtain wall, windows, and entrance systems were finished in a Class I clear anodize. Ideal for high-performance, weather-exposed building products, this finish presents a contemporary appearance that can withstand the heavy traffic of excited football fans and the extreme coastal weather that can hit ECU’s campus. Anodized aluminum resists the ravages of time, temperature, corrosion, humidity, warping, abrasions, and wear. An integral part of the substrate, the anodize finish protects the structural integrity of the aluminum, adding to its long life cycle. On the interior, framing systems provide views from the TowneBank Tower to the field, as well as transparency and separation between the premium suites, loge and press level, and the main concourses. These storefront systems used a 70 percent polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) resin-based architectural coating in a light beige color. These coatings exhibit outstanding resistance to humidity, color change, chalking, gloss loss, and chemicals to ensure a long-lasting, durable finish that protects the aluminum, contributes to its low-maintenance longevity, and meets the desired appearance. The original stadium opened in 1963 and consisted of the permanent stands on the south side and a small press box. The last significant construction project at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium was the 2010 completion of a 7000-seat expansion in the east-end that increased capacity to approximately 50,000. The 8640-m2 (93,000-sf) TowneBank Tower rises nine stories and spans the top of the south-side seats between the 14-m (15-yard) lines. The top level of the tower also houses a new press box and game-day operations center. Along with the TowneBank Tower, renovation of the Wards Sports Medicine Building was also part of the project scope. Expansions and modernizations were made to the Ward building’s football locker room, team meeting areas, athletics training headquarters, and equipment room. A football team lounge also was added to the existing structure. Praised as a state-of-the-art, first-class facility and a community asset, the new stadium also intended to assist with the university’s recruitment of college athletes. Demonstrating this success, ECU has already signed 25 new players for the 2020 season. |
