January, 2012 – Minneapolis, Minn. – On Thursday, January 26, the University of Minnesota celebrated the opening of its Student Recreational Sports Dome, a project made possible in part by the structural engineers at Krech, O’Brien, Mueller & Associates. Commonly referred to as the UMN Dome, the structure will be a seasonal facility for flag football, soccer, lacrosse and softball, and will be taken down during the warmer months so its surface can be used for additional field space.
Despite the unusually warm winter, U of M students are excited to take advantage of climate-controlled facilities. KOMA provided structural engineering services and collaborated with Studio Five Architects to bring the project to life. Although the 7,400 yards of fabric used to make the dome are an eye-catching highlight, KOMA’s efforts focused on the 2,700 square-foot support building attached to the dome which serves as the main entry and houses the locker rooms, lobby, and storage and office spaces.
Mike Lisowski, lead structural engineer for the project, said, “Collaboration is crucial for this type of job. Open communication and responsiveness have helped KOMA’s structural engineers build strong relationships with outside architects. We feel that this results in a stronger finished product. We’re thrilled to partner with our industry colleagues to produce a structure that delights the client.”