Early Childhood and Elementary

Playscapes designed to address the unique needs of early childhood and elementary-age students require multiple areas for physical play that are inclusive yet challenging. Early elementary play can be more focused on motion and spinning, which provided positive, vestibular stimulation for brain development. “Spinning is an important form of sensory input that the brain takes in and processes that can help with balance, decision-making, and even attention span,” says GMB landscape architect Dana Hernalsteen. “Incorporating different areas of play also gives students a choice in how they want to explore and engage with their surroundings.” For example, pavement activities can take many shapes and promote different types of play, from group games like foursquare, to active learning from painted maps or solar systems, and social emotional needs like peace paths and buddy circles.

Ludington’s new elementary school aimed to create meaningful connections to the outdoors, an important initiative for the district. All the classroom wings connect outside through covered outdoor learning areas to playgrounds that encourage both outdoor learning and play. Multiple playgrounds address the needs of students from kindergarten through 5th grade on one campus. Broken down into distinct age categories, each playscape was designed to create meaningful play as students grow. For the youngest learners, areas that promote balance, like spinners and climbers, and creativity, like chalk and sandboxes, were included. For the oldest group, more challenging spaces for parkour and rope climbing encourage strength building, teamwork, and competition.

Special Education and Accessibility Needs

Creating an inclusive and accessible playscape presents students with many opportunities. Completely barrier-free design, with compliance for national standards, can be just as fun, intentional, and creative as traditional play areas. Incorporating the necessary signage, railings, fencing, and transitions into the natural surroundings where possible makes the accessibility requirements feel like just another part of the design. At Hamilton Community Schools, a special education wing’s new playground provides accessible play for all students. An ADA accessible ramp into the rubberized surface area for wheelchairs is the first impression of accessible use. The playground also includes equipment that can accommodate wheelchair users plus their adult paraprofessionals. “Incorporating different kinds of sensory elements from texture, sound, height levels, spinning, and signage gives the playscape something for everyone,” said GMB landscape architect Chris Markham. “Multiple zones throughout the area and the new equipment allow kids of different abilities to interact and play together without physical constraints.”

Serving Multiple Age Groups

At schools where multiple age groups share a single campus or facility, outdoor spaces can be creatively utilized to address the needs of multiple age groups. By blending programs together in flexible spaces that promote both play and learning on a smaller footprint, yet intentionally separating age group activities, districts can accommodate outdoor play for any age group. Potterville Public Schools is utilizing their shared campus to create outdoor areas that fit students from kindergarten through high school. Similar age zones are placed near each other to create the appropriate separation of activities while maximizing their square footage. The youngest group’s play area is enclosed in a courtyard and requires the least amount of space, while the middle school group will have play structures of varying scale and opportunity for free play. High schoolers will be able to physically exert themselves on play fields if they choose or can utilize seating with shade to read, study, and converse.

Athletics as a Catalyst for School Branding

• Facilities as First Impressions: Athletic stadiums, often centered around football, are seen as a uniquely American tradition that can shape the identities of students, institutions, and communities. From fields and courts to stadiums and signage, athletic facilities send a clear message: we invest in our students and we’re proud of our programs.
• Merchandise and Mascots: Spirit wear, team colors, and mascots are more than just fun, they’re vital branding tools. Whether worn at family-friendly Friday night games or shared across social media, these elements reinforce pride and recognition in the broader community.
• Creating a Unique Fan Experience: The Chippewa Champions Center at Central Michigan University is a shining example of using athletics to make a memorable first impression to all campus visitors. Located directly behind the north end zone, the center is one of the most unique fan experiences in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and is located just steps from the Chippewas’ locker room, bringing fans up close and personal to the action on the field.

• Inclusion Through Shared Experiences: Games, practices, team nights, and fundraising can act as additional gathering points that unite students, staff, families, and alumni. Whether you’re on the team, in the band, broadcasting the game, or cheering from the stands, there’s a place to belong. These shared experiences help create deep emotional ties to the school community and to each other.
• Multi-Use Spaces That Serve Everyone: Creating flexible athletic spaces that serve educational, community, and event needs is a must. They serve PE classes by day, sports teams by night, and community events on weekends. Designing these spaces to be used by both male and female sports, and choosing durable materials that encourage year-round use, make great financial sense for educational institutions that often rely on public funding.
• Elevating The Student Experience: The award-winning Hudsonville Fieldhouse has ample space to support a variety of sports programs, community members, and school classes. It was important to the district to create spaces that reflected student talent, celebrated their successes, and reinforced the brand and culture of Hudsonville. 

Driving Student Excitement and Retention

• K-12 Impact: Competitive or high-profile athletics attract families and offer opportunities for students to choose what best suits their talents. More schools are adding options in fast-growing sports like girls’ flag football, boys’ volleyball, rugby, and lacrosse. These offerings pique student interest, attract new demographics, and promote year-round campus activity.
• Giving K-12 a Collegiate Feel: The turf fields at Woodhaven High School promote a sense of school pride with bold logos and school colors that evoke a collegiate feel to the complex, while also promote accessibility for all students, athletes, and community members regardless of gender or physical abilities.
• Higher Ed Impact: Athletics can be a deal-breaker or deal-maker during the college selection process, especially for student-athletes and school spirit-minded students and families. Highlighting athletics during campus tours and recruitment campaigns helps elevate the entire student experience. Winning seasons, legendary games, and beloved mascots are powerful touchpoints that also keep alumni connected, and invested in, your school.
• A Multi-Functional Alumni Space: The Stadium Club at Western Michigan University (WMU) transformed from primarily game day use to a 24/7/365 a year entertaining, fundraising, and intimate conversation space. The goal of the updated suite was to offer an elegant and welcoming experience to patrons that is unique to WMU.

Expanding the Definition of Athletics

• Intramural and Recreational Sports: In higher ed, intramural sports provide an outlet for physical activity, connection, and community without the intensity of varsity athletics. They help support student wellness and provide opportunities for leadership and event planning, especially for students not involved in other clubs.
• Developing Year-Round, Well-Rounded Athletes: Schools are shifting away from the “one-sport athlete” mindset and instead encouraging participation in multiple sports or off-season training programs. This approach helps prevent burnout and injury, while promoting teamwork, adaptability, and resilience.
• Exploring eSports: Competitive gaming programs are rapidly growing in both K–12 and higher education. East Kentwood High School in West Michigan has one of the top-ranked eSports teams in the nation and was placed in the Top 20 programs by USA Today. With more than 100 students on the team, their eSports program offers new ways to engage students who might not connect with traditional sports while still teaching them teamwork, strategy, and discipline.

The Woodhaven-Brownstown School District was able to transition a portion of their high school campus into a premier baseball and softball complex complete with artificial turf and an auxiliary practice field. The district has created a first-class destination facility that promotes athletic excellence and inspires student athletes. The complex was also designed to promote accessibility for all students, athletes, and community members regardless of gender or physical abilities.

Woodhaven High School is the only high school-level project to win a top honor in this category.

“The new baseball and softball complex marks a significant milestone for our district, enhancing the quality of our athletic programs,” said Mark Greathead, Superintendent of Woodhaven-Brownstown School District. “This state-of-the-art facility not only motivates and empowers our student-athletes, but also embodies our dedication to inclusivity and community engagement.”

Awards are presented each year to facilities built by ASBA members, which best exemplify excellence in sports facility design and construction, as well as an understanding of the technical requirements and current professional standards for athletics facilities. Projects are scored individually based on considerations such as layout and design, site work, drainage, base construction, surface, amenities, innovation, and overall impression.

“The new athletic fields design helps Woodhaven promote their school’s excellence with bold logos and school colors that evoke a collegiate feel to the complex,” added Ron Boezwinkle, a client lead with GMB. “These enhancements not only elevate the school’s identity but also provide a vibrant and engaging environment for students and the community.”

Hudsonville’s new fieldhouse encompasses 104,000 SF of top-of-the-line athletics space that includes locker rooms, a 1/9 mile running track, two-levels of fitness and strength areas, a multipurpose tennis court, and three full size basketball/volleyball courts with spectator seating for 3,700 people. The unique top-loading design of the fieldhouse delivers a 360-view of the court floor and connects spaces on the upper level, making the facility ideal for hosting competitions, expositions, and community events.

“The new fieldhouse elevates the athletics experience for our entire student body, while also creating a welcoming space for the Hudsonville community,” said Dr. Doug VanderJagt, Superintendent of Hudsonville Public Schools. “We are so fortunate to have the community’s support to make this fieldhouse a reality. The final product reflects and celebrates the student talent that we have here in Hudsonville.”

“The fieldhouse spaces truly capture the essence of Hudsonville and serve as a source of inspiration for students,” said Matt Heidloff, landscape architect at GMB. “This project not only unifies the campus but also establishes a state-of-the-art facility where students and their families can feel welcome and proud.”

Awards are presented each year to facilities built by ASBA members, which best exemplify excellence in sports facility design and construction, as well as an understanding of the technical requirements and current professional standards for athletics facilities. Projects are scored individually based on considerations such as layout and design, site work, drainage, base construction, surface, amenities, innovation, and overall impression.

In the early 2000s, transitions in STEM curriculum created opportunities for robotics programs to grow in K-12 settings. While robotics education used to be out of reach for many public schools due to cost and lack of teacher availability, it is now becoming more affordable through corporate sponsorships, repurposing of equipment, and increased access to resources.

Today’s students have never known a world without internet access and education that supports future career paths in technology is essential. Robotics are a considerable tool in many of today’s industries and early interaction with robotics is encouraged. Students in robotics can learn the ins and outs of in-demand skills like engineering, coding, manufacturing and more. Connecting robotics principles to overall academics gives students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in real-world applications and fosters a love for lifelong learning. Beyond technical skills, robotics teaches students critical thinking skills, teamwork, and leadership while also building their confidence.

Mason Public Schools continues to enhance their robotics program, dubbed Tractor Nation, at all ages throughout the district. To meet the growing demand, a new robotics competition space was proposed and supported through the district’s bond and sinking fund. The completed space, housed within the high school, has become a state-of-the-art area for students to learn, create, and compete. The robotics center features a new fabrication workshop, a full-size practice FIRST Robotics field, and adjoining classroom. The center also supports programs for other local schools to practice, collaborate, and learn from each other.

Mason Public Schools has successfully integrated robotics curriculum at the middle school and high school levels within their district. The middle school robotics class introduces students to VEX IQ coding and building, while the high school classes include Introduction to Robotics, Competitive Robotics, and 3D Printing classes. Introducing these concepts into the curriculum helps connect student’s academic knowledge in engineering, mathematics, and science, while also spreading awareness of robotics education.

“This is real-world application,” explained Ben Shoemaker, the Lead Mentor for Team 3655, to WILX News 10 at the facility’s ribbon cutting. “We’re teaching kids how to run equipment, we’re teaching kids how to build things…the robot is a vehicle for us to teach kids how to problem solve no matter what discipline they’re interested in doing or what their future plans are.”

Grandville Public Schools signature extracurricular robotics program consists of the Grandville Robodawgs team for high school age students and the Grandville Robotics that serves 3^rd – 8^th graders. Their programs have recently finished their first competition season in the newly constructed robotics arena, one of the largest built-for-purpose robotics competition centers in the United States. The robotics arena can host a variety of competitions with up to 2,000 spectators. The venue can be used for FIRST Robotics Competitions (FRC), VEX Robotics, Lego League and even aerial drone robotics with multiple competition fields and pits for up to 120 teams. The polished concrete floors are low maintenance and scratch resistant, the perfect surface for battle bot events. Acoustics in the space were specifically designed to dampen the sounds of robotics use with perforated acoustical roof deck and wall panels. Air flow disseminated from the ductwork controls arena temperature and does not disrupt the sensitive ariel drone competitions. The arena is also supplied with separate electric circuits that will not impact the rest of the school building during high volume electrical usage times.

The adjoining multi-purpose gymnasium space with a traditional wood floor can also be combined to host large tournament events. Adjacent woodshop spaces, mini hardware store, concessions, and multiple load-in points with large rollup doors allow for robot building and practice, 3D printing, storage, and multi-purpose use. The district can control the amount of access to the school’s non-academic spaces for after-hours use, keeping the academics wing secure while still welcoming groups for events or extracurricular activities.

“This is a game changer for all West Michigan robotics and their programs who can use this top-notch facility to build their programs,” said Roger Bearup, Grandville Public Schools Superintendent.

Sparta’s new facility consists of eight, post-tensioned concrete outdoor courts at the high school as the final project of the $58.6 million bond passed in 2016. The tennis court project was part of an overall athletics overhaul that improved multiple athletic facilities for Sparta Area Schools and their community. The bond also included a new middle school, improvements to multiple elementary buildings, and upgrades to the football, soccer, and track stadium.

“Sparta Area Schools is very proud of our athletic facilities,” said Joel Stoner, Superintendent at Sparta Public Schools. “The new tennis courts are an amazing addition to our facilities and a highly appealing aesthetic added to the high school campus.”

The courts layout and design encourage movement throughout the complex, connecting the courts along a central walkway. The three-tier built in place seat-walls and portable bleachers create a variety of viewing opportunities for spectators. All courts and viewing sections are ADA accessible for an equitable fan experience. The new entrance, court colors and graphic elements unite the space in reflection of the Sparta district’s identity.

“Creating a centralized facility near the high school ensures that this program is highly visible and acts as a real celebration of athletics,” said Matt Heidloff, landscape architect at GMB. “This is a project the whole community of Sparta can be proud of.”

Sparta’s new facility consists of eight, post-tensioned concrete outdoor courts at the high school as the final project of the $58.6 million bond passed in 2016. The tennis court project was part of an overall athletics overhaul that improved multiple athletic facilities for Sparta Area Schools and their community. The bond also included a new middle school, improvements to multiple elementary buildings, and upgrades to the football, soccer, and track stadium.

“Sparta Area Schools is very proud of our athletic facilities,” said Joel Stoner, Superintendent at Sparta Public Schools. “The new tennis courts are an amazing addition to our facilities and a highly appealing aesthetic added to the high school campus.”

West Ottawa’s new stadium consists of two turf playing fields and creates a one-of-a-kind intimate experience for fans and athletes alike. The west field was designed deliberately without a surrounding track to bring the stands and field closer together with a central tunnel beneath the grandstands for the home team to enter onto the field. The same synthetic turf, light posts, and state-of-the-art AV systems are utilized on both fields for an equitable experience for all users. Multiple ground-level entry points with access to the fields, barrier-free locker rooms and multiple seating options with elevator access also creates accessibility for spectators, players, coaches, and support staff.

“This facility allows our students the opportunity to play in one of the premier complexes in the state of Michigan,” said Jeff Malloch, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services at West Ottawa Public Schools. “We have seen continued interest in lacrosse, football, and soccer, and this complex will be utilized by our community youth from elementary age to high school student-athletes.”

Adding elevated fan experiences, such as a concourse level between the upper and lower sections of the home stands, bigger bleachers, and updated concession stands and restrooms, establishes a venue for multiple sports and attracts the entire community to utilize the facility.

“This is a one-of-a kind facility for West Michigan, and it’s been wonderful to see student athletes from across the state enjoy the complex’s unique amenities,” said Nate Bosch, a Landscape Architect with GMB. “The collaboration needed to make this project come to life was an inspiring process to be a part of, and we are so pleased to celebrate this accomplishment with West Ottawa.”

This is the first time a GMB project has been awarded a multi-field facility of the year honor by the ASBA. GMB has also received four project of the year honors in the outdoor tennis category and 20 distinguished awards from ASBA for other athletic facility projects in the past twelve years.

Awards are presented each year to facilities built by ASBA members, which best exemplify excellence in sports facility design and construction, as well as an understanding of the technical requirements and current professional standards for athletics facilities. Projects are scored individually based on considerations such as layout and design, site work, drainage, base construction, surface, amenities, innovation, and overall impression.

Let’s break this down a bit. All hard surface courts – whether they have an asphalt or post-tensioned concrete base – need to be resurfaced about every five years. This process typically takes two to three days, depending on the number of courts and weather conditions. In the case of asphalt courts, however, by the time a court is due to be resurfaced for the first time, it likely has developed initial cracking. These cracks need to be repaired before resurfacing can occur. That adds another two to four days to the process.

Repairing asphalt cracks is charged by the lineal foot. It’s common to see 100 to 200 feet of cracks per court – so if you have eight, 12, or more courts, the costs can really add up.

Another major repair of the asphalt gets underway around year 10 or 11. By this time, significant cracking is expected and will need to be addressed. And by the time 15 years have elapsed, most tennis facility owners are considering a total replacement of the asphalt surface. Replacing the courts will cause a loss of access of around 3 months.

The replacement of courts is, of course, an expensive proposition in and of itself. But the loss of court availability represents a lost opportunity to generate revenue. 

Life Expectancy of PT Concrete Courts

A post-tensioned concrete court, in contrast, has a life expectancy of at least 25 years. Although there are many cases where courts have lasted for 30 or more years with the only maintenance required being resurfacing.

Installation of this type of court does require a unique concrete contractor. While not every contractor has this expertise, they are ubiquitous enough to find in most regions.

There are many benefits of post-tension concrete over asphalt for tennis court applications. Lower total costs over time, and less downtime due to maintenance, smooth, joint-free playing surfaces, and the long projected life cycle of the courts are some of the reasons you might consider post-tensioned concrete when it comes time to replace existing courts or when designing a new facility.

Artificial Turf Elevates New Baseball and Softball Fields

As part of a larger bond program, Woodhaven-Brownstown School District was able to transition an open area on their campus that consisted of practice fields and underutilized space into premier baseball and softball fields complete with artificial turf. Extensive planning for the new storm drainage and impact on storm water detention/retention for the site was completed prior to installation. The turf fields help Woodhaven-Brownstown promote a sense of school pride with bold logos and school colors that evoke a collegiate feel to the complex.

Dual Turf Fields Centered Around Player and Fan Experience

West Ottawa Public Schools’ one-of-a-kind athletic complex delivers a world class experience for fans and athletes alike with two turf fields, concessions, and grandstands. There is a strong connection between the east and west fields to create an equitable experience for all stadium users, regardless of activity size. Wet weather no longer affects the fields, which used to flood, and the fields can transition quickly from football to cheerleading to band without the worry of uneven surfaces and holes created during game play. The same synthetic turf, light posts and state-of-the-art AV systems are utilized on both fields, as well as painted lines for men’s and women’s athletics on both fields for interchangeable play.