And this season Hope has raised the bar on its divisional rivals with the opening of the Richard and Helen DeVos Fieldhouse on the school's campus in Holland, Mich. In fact, the Nov. 19 home opener against Elmhurst College will mark the first time in 75 years that Hope will play a regular season game in an on-campus facility. Designed by renowned sports architect Ellerbe Becket to seat approximately 3,400 fans, DeVos Fieldhouse will serve as home court for men’s and women’s basketball and women's volleyball. It also will serve as a venue for other college and community events.
In addition to athletics, the 102,000 sf fieldhouse accommodates the college’s department of kinesiology, which includes curricula in athletic training, exercise science and physical education.
DeVos Fieldhouse offers tremendous opportunities for both Hope College and the community of Holland, according to Hope President James Bultman. “The vision for the project was to create a building within a park, a thoughtfully planned and carefully executed marriage of building and site,” he said. “Essentially, the building is a stage or a backdrop for some very important college and community events.”
It’s part of an evolving eastern gateway entrance to the Holland community. Arches and pillars that demonstrate strength and sophistication are featured in the design and blend with the existing campus.
Named for Richard and Helen DeVos, the new fieldhouse honors the couple’s impact on the quality of life in western Michigan, the Holland community and at Hope College. The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation contributed a $7.5 million anchor gift to the project.
“This is one of the best buildings of its type in the world,” said Doug Beichley, project manager for Ellerbe Becket. “The knowledge we’ve accumulated from designing nearly 20 NBA/NHL arenas is applied here in an intimate setting and the results are spectacular.”
Ellerbe Becket provided architecture, interior design, mechanical, electrical and structural engineering. Progressive AE of Grand Rapids, Mich., provided landscape architecture and civil engineering services. Construction Manager is the Dan Vos Construction Co. of Ada, Mich.
The fieldhouse is part of the most ambitious capital campaign in Hope’s 143-year history. The college opened its new science center in 2003 and work on the renovation of the Peale Science Center was completed for the 2004-05 school year.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering and the construction industry with office locations worldwide.
Contact: news@ellerbebecket.com
