The 17,000-sf structure will be an addition to the school’s existing Fieldhouse. George Mason is Virginia’s largest state university with 27,000 students on three campuses (the new training facility will be on the Alexandria campus). All of the school’s athletic facilities have been upgraded under Athletic Director Tom O’Connor’s 11-year tenure.

The $4 million facility, scheduled for completion in 2006, will double as a spectator venue and a training complex. With retractable seating for 4,000 and game-day concession space, the building will host Patriot women’s basketball and volleyball contests. The flexible design also will accommodate 2-3 practice courts for men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and summer sports camps.

Ellerbe Becket designed a similar complex at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas. Cox Pavilion hosts a variety of events, from sports to small concerts to academic conferences.

An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering and the construction industry with office locations worldwide. The firm’s sports facility practice has designed or renovated some of the world’s most successful buildings: Madison Square Garden in New York City; Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.; Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.; and Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.

CLARK NEXSEN is a premier architecture, engineering and interior design firm with more than 84 years of experience. From five offices throughout Virginia and North Carolina, the firm’s design teams specialize in schools, offices, commercial, retail, food-service, recreational, manufacturing, industrial and government facilities, as well as college/university buildings. The firm recently completed a new $24 million, multistory housing project on George Mason’s Fairfax campus.

Contact: news@ellerbebecket.com