Architecture firm MoDusArchitects has recently completed the Fieldhouse project, a community center dedicated to sports and recreational activities. Located in the small town of Laghetti (municipality of Egna, Bolzano) near the banks of the Adige River, the building sits on the slopes of Mount Corno, with the spectacular natural park as its backdrop.

Fieldhouse is wedged between two football fields to the north and west and the steep terrain to the east. MoDusArchitects, in charge of demolishing the old building that housed the changing rooms and the sports association, proposes a new building with an extension that would improve the building's energy efficiency by reusing the existing photovoltaic system.

The new building is organized by locating the changing rooms on the ground floor, creating a direct connection both with the soccer field and with the interior of the building. This floor also has space to store sports equipment and a small covered shooting range. The first floor houses the caretaker's apartment, offices, a meeting and teaching room, the cafeteria and kitchen area with indoor and outdoor dining, and a large terrace for parties and public gatherings.
MoDusArchitects conceive Fieldhouse as a connecting piece between the various types of settlements that border the valley basins of South Tyrol, be they residential neighbourhoods, industrial zones or sports infrastructures. Located on the border between the valley and the mountain, the building has a rectangular and elongated floor plan, and its volume is transformed throughout the space, going from a retaining wall on the ground to a platform from which to watch matches and hold events.

On the east side, a light tower that tapers as it grows acts both as a counterweight and as a visual landmark in the landscape. The roof of the building houses the 52 photovoltaic modules that cover 50% of its energy consumption. The two-story structure, one half-buried and the other above ground with a large attached terrace, is made of reinforced concrete exposed in situ. The glazed openings are inspired by the shape of the place, creating a uniform envelope interrupted by trapezoidal pillars at some points.

Fieldhouse's goal is to elevate the functional nature of the sports field and generate an inclusive common space, where sport merges with other activities, so that the whole community can enjoy it.


Fieldhouse by MoDusArchitects. Photograph by Gustav Willeit.


Fieldhouse by MoDusArchitects. Photograph by Gustav Willeit.
 

Project description by MoDusArchitects

FIELDHOUSE BY MODUSARCHITECTS: Sport architecture goes social, a win-win for the local community

With the Fieldhouse project, architecture office MoDusArchitects www.modusarchitects.com inserts a new material milestone into the South Tyrolean landscape with inclusive spaces dedicated to sports and recreation.

Located in the small town of Laghetti (Egna Municipality, Bolzano) nearby the riverbanks of the Adige river, the building sits at the foothills of Mount Corno whose natural reserve park forms a dramatic backdrop to the sports facility.

Infrastructural in character, Fieldhouse is wedged between a five-a-side football pitch to the north, the existing football field to the west and the steeping terrain to the east. With its low-lying body that transforms as it moves laterally along the site, Fieldhouse mutates from a retaining wall to a long linear roof to then become a raised groundscape that acts not only as a viewing platform for sporting events, but also as an outdoor venue for social occasions.

MoDusArchitects, appointed to demolish the old building that housed the changing rooms and the sports association, proposes a new building with an extension that would improve the building's energy efficiency while reusing the existing photovoltaic system.


Fieldhouse by MoDusArchitects. Photograph by Gustav Willeit.

"Be it football pitch, tennis courts, or baseball diamonds, outdoor recreational fields are precisely constructed landscapes: their shape, size, edges, and orientation on the site are regimented by the rules of the game that they host."

Matteo Scagnol, co-founder of MoDusArchitects.


In many ways, Fieldhouse is a connector piece, part of the larger puzzle of small-town settlements that line the valley basins of South Tyrol: residential neighbourhoods, light-industrial zones and sports infrastructures sit side-by-side in limited swathes of land. Positioned at the point of inflexion between valley and mountain, Fieldhouse is characterized by a regular and elongated plan, while also providing a bold geometrical profile in elevation that measures itself up against the vertical landscape. In section, Fieldhouse mediates the topography with two levels that connect up the various programs and vista points.

Fieldhouse becomes a new community hub dedicated to sports, but also to recreational activities:


"We wanted to give the community a project that was accessible and would grant full visibility to all the activities of the functional programme, especially those aimed at the public and spectators. This sparked the decision to position the volume longitudinally, to accompany visitors in the enjoyment of their leisure time, thereby creating a new social space."

Sandy Attia, co-founder of MoDusArchitects.

The two-storey structure, one partially underground and one above ground with an adjoining large terrace, is made of reinforced - exposed concrete cast in situ. The glazed apertures take cues from the geometries and slopes of the site, forming a uniform envelope punctuated by alternating trapezoidal pillars and sharp cuts at the openings.


Fieldhouse by MoDusArchitects. Photograph by Gustav Willeit.

On the east side, a lighting tower reaching towards the sky, 11 metres high and tapering upwards, acts as a counterweight to the extended body of the Fieldhouse. It incorporates the requisite lighting poles into an architectural element that delineates the outermost corner of the building—a hinge between built volume and the ground—to become a visual marker in the landscape.

The tower is an integral part of the roofscape whose long, flat roof houses the 52 photovoltaic modules. Thanks to a system that covers 50% of its energy consumption with renewable sources, the new building is CasaClima A certified.

From the entrance forecourt, a wide panoramic covered staircase leads to the first floor which hosts the caretaker's apartment, offices, a meeting and teaching room, the cafeteria area and kitchen with indoor and outdoor dining areas, and a large terrace for parties and public meetings.

The ground floor houses the new changing rooms with showers and toilets for 30 players, with a direct connection to both the football pitch and the inside of the building.


Fieldhouse by MoDusArchitects. Photograph by Gustav Willeit.

Here in addition to the storage facilities for the sports equipment is located in the independently operated, local division of the Tiroler Schützen with a small indoor shooting range and dedicated storage area. The association is rooted in the local culture of South Tyrol and once constituted the former voluntary army.

The design of the Fieldhouse by MoDusArchitects reflects on the architecture of local sports facilities and their public character, tracing the outlines of a typology little explored in the Italian scene.

The relevance of the Fieldhouse for the local community elevates the functional nature of the sports field and generates an inclusive space where sports-centred services merge with recreational spaces that the entire local community can enjoy.

More information

Label
Architects
Text
MoDusArchitects. Lead architects.- Sandy Attia, Matteo Scagnol.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Project team
Text
Sandy Attia, Matteo Scagnol, Anna Valandro.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Collaborators
Text
Structural engineering and installations.- 3M Engineering s.r.l.
Contractor.- Edil Vanzo Costruzioni Srl (Cavalese, TN).
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Client
Text
Comune di Egna.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Area
Text
Project area.- 430 sqm.
GFA.- 1.080 sqm (ground floor 650 sqm; first floor, 430 sqm).
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Dates
Text
Feasibility studio.- 2017.
Design phase.- 2018 - 2020.
Construction phase.- 2021 - 2022.
Completion.- November 2022.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Location
Text
Via Cava 31, Laghetti (Egna), Bolzano, Italy.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Manufacturers
Text
Fair-faced concrete supplier.- Beton Lana Srl.
Bush-hammering.- Designtrend SAS.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Photography
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
MoDus Architects was founded by Sandy Attia (Cairo, 1974) and Matteo Scagnol (Trieste, 1968) in 2000. The studio distinguishes itself within the international architectural panorama by the bold and heterogenous body of work that intertwines the founding partners’ two different formative and cultural backgrounds.

Completed works include the Ponte di Ghiaccio Mountain Lodge, the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Centre, the School Campus in the Firmian district of Bolzano, the Bressanone-Varna Ring Road, the Kostner House and Studio, the new Damiani Holz&Ko Office Addition and the Tourist Visitor’s Center Building in Bressanone (TreeHugger). 

MoDusArchitects’ work has been recognized with a number of important awards: the jury’s special prize at the Premio Architetto Italiano 2013, honourable mentions for the Gold Medal in Italian Architecture (2015, 2012), first prize for the International Piranesi Award 2013, Best Architects (2013, 2018, 2019), the German Design Council’s Iconic Award (2012, 2019) and a nomination for the Mies van der Rohe Award 2015. Several projects have been included in the Triennale di Milano in 2012 e 2015, the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2018 within the Italian Pavilion. The Kostner House and Studio project together withthe Damiani Holz&Ko Office Building project are part of the MAXXI Museum’s permanent collection in Rome.  Matteo Scagnol and Sandy Attia flank their professional work with their academic roles at Princeton University's School of Architecture (USA).

Sandy Attia was born in Cairo in 1974 and graduated in 1995 from the University of Virginia. In 2000, she earned a Master’s in Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and in the same year, she founded MoDusArchitects with Matteo Scagnol.

In 2002, she received the Muschenheim teaching and research fellowship at the University of Michigan (TCAUP) where Sandy Attia continued her academic endeavors until 2004. In 2013, she was nominated for the ArcVision Prize for her contribution to the field of architecture.  

Her book titled Designing Schools was shortlisted for the Italian National Research Award in the field of architecture. Since 2015 she has worked closely with the Agnelli Foundation in Turin on a number of educational related projects. Sandy is also a Visiting Professor at Princeton University’s School of Architecture.

Matteo Scagnol was born in Trieste in 1968 and graduated in 1995 from the IUAV (University Institute of Architecture of Venice). In 1999, he earned a Master’s in Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.

In 2000, he founded MoDusArchitects with Sandy Attia. The same year, he received the Fulbright fellowship in Visual Arts for the American Academy in Rome. Matteo has also taught at the IUAV in Venice and at the University of Trento. Known for his capacity to fuse the technical and more poetic aspects of the architectural discipline, he is often invited to jury international architecture competitions and speak at conferences, both in Italy and abroad. Matteo is also a Visiting Professor at the School of Architecture of Princeton University (USA).
Read more
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...