Perspectives November 13, 2025

Adaptive Reuse in Sports & Recreation: Breathing New Life into Community Spaces

By Jennifer Williams and co-authored by Tyler Hinckley

Across campuses and cities, sports and recreation facilities are evolving to meet the changing needs of the communities they serve. Within aging structures and outdated programs lies an opportunity to reimagine what these spaces could be. Adaptive reuse offers a solution that uniquely balances legacy with performance and sustainability with inclusion. According to a 2025 report, 78% of U.S consumers now favor eco-friendly venues, prompting designers and institutions to prioritize reuse strategies over new construction. Rather than starting from scratch, this approach introduces a new purpose to existing buildings while preserving their history and prioritizing environmental responsibility.

We took this approach with three recent projects in the Northeast — a Division I collegiate arena, a university athletic training center, and a neighborhood squash hub — to transform underused spaces into modern environments that reflect the values and aspirations of the people who use them.

Cozy lounge with women ice hockey student-athletes overlooking Boston University hockey rink.

Boston University, Walter Brown Arena and Women's Ice Hockey Suite

After a strategic renovation, the team lounge, unlike those in many modern arenas, now offers clear views of the rink and direct access to the locker rooms and ice.

Boston University hockey women's ice hockey locker room with jerseys and helmets displayed.

Boston University, Walter Brown Arena and Women's Ice Hockey Suite

Once underused areas are now state-of-the-art facilities tailored specifically for the women’s program and reflective of their national standing.

Existing conditions of Boston University women's ice hockey locker room with gear and uniforms.

Boston University, Women's Ice Hockey Lockers Before Renovation

Renovation Rooted in Equity

Through thoughtful reuse, the past becomes a foundation for the present as we create more inclusive and equitable spaces that serve a broader and more diverse community. At Boston University, the Walter Brown Arena had outgrown its ability to serve current student-athletes and the wider campus community; rather than build from the ground up, we chose to reuse and reframe its story. Originally intended to support the men’s ice hockey team, the arena was built in a pre-Title IX era before women’s sports entered the scene. Now, half a century later, our renovation transformed the interior into one of the few Division I women’s specific ice hockey arenas in the nation — a bold commitment to equity and excellence.

What was once a complex mix of outdated spaces is now a purpose-built performance environment where student-athletes and coaches thrive. Upgrades to the venue’s support spaces also accommodate club sports, intramurals, physical education programs, and outside rentals in a universally accessible, inclusive way previously not possible within the existing conditions.

Ice rink skate rental counter with skates and two people exchanging equipment.

Indoor ice hockey rink with Boston University signage and empty seats.

Boston University, Walter Brown Arena

As a mid-century facility, the arena faced challenges with accessibility, infrastructure, and overall character. Thoughtful upgrades to branding, lighting, and circulation now create a more welcoming, inclusive environment for club sports, intramurals, physical education programs, and public use.

Architectural floor plan and exploded axon for women's hockey arena showcasing public and private team zones.

Boston University, Walter Brown Arena

Improvements to circulation and wayfinding throughout benefit not only athletes, but the University community at large. When not in use for practices and game days, the arena is open to the public for open skate sessions and student events.

Sustainability Through Repurposing

At Saint Joseph’s University, the challenge was to redesign a cluster of facilities that no longer met the demands of a modern Division I program. The vision for the Maguire Athletic Center was to transform what existed into a high-performing environment that maximizes every square foot while emphasizing a whole-health approach to the student-athlete experience. What was once an underutilized swimming pool now operates as a multipurpose indoor turf field that supports field sports and elevated conditioning. The seating mezzanine overlooking the pool has become an indoor track and field training space. Former multipurpose courts were redesigned into dedicated practice facilities for men’s and women’s basketball. Nearby racquetball courts were reinvented as a wellness suite, a golf practice facility, and a multipurpose erg room used by the men’s and women’s crew programs.

Equally as important was the commitment to sustainability and the transformation of space. Salvaged bleachers were repurposed as lobby benches; wood court flooring was transformed into branded design features, and the reuse of existing structures significantly reduced embodied carbon. By transforming the interior of the building and maintaining the exterior and main structure, rather than building new facilities of the same size, we saved over 400 kgCO2 per m² of embodied carbon or 42% of Global Warming Potential (GWP). What began as a collection of outdated spaces now operates as a holistic, high-performing ecosystem — a transformation that demonstrates how design can turn constraint into opportunity.

Indoor turf field with players practicing at St. Joseph's University.

Saint Joseph's University, Maguire Athletic Center Turf Field

We focused investment on upgrades that would deliver the greatest impact across multiple athletic programs while staying within the existing footprint. A creative conversion of the defunct pool into a synthetic turf field provides year-round training to multiple athletic programs.

Indoor track and training area at St. Joseph's University Athletic center.

Saint Joseph's University, Maguire Athletic Center Track Mezzanine

We strategically introduced a new track mezzanine within the building’s large volume space.

Existing conditions of Indoor swimming pool of college athletic center.

Saint Joseph's University, Maguire Athletic Center Pool Before Adaptive Reuse

Hallway with Saint Joseph's Hawks basketball sign, and students walking by.

Saint Joseph's University, Maguire Athletic Center

Today, student-athletes are welcomed by a signature branding wall crafted from the reclaimed wood flooring of the old basketball courts.

Floor plan and design features using salvaged material elements for college athletic center.

Saint Joseph's University, Maguire Athletic Center

We reclaimed and repurposed existing materials from the facility into branded signage, countertops, and artwork, uniting old and new while reducing the project’s embodied carbon footprint.

Modern cafe and lounge of community squash center with people relaxing and socializing in a cozy, well-lit space.

Portland Community Squash, Community Commons

Key additions to the facility create indoor and outdoor spaces for gathering and hosting events, allowing the organization to expand its programming.

Squash community center with outdoor seating and visitors under a wooden pergola.

Portland Community Squash, Entry Courtyard

The contrasting materiality of the additions visually differentiates yet thoughtfully unites new spaces with the existing building.

Existing conditions of former brick building in winter, entrance to Portland Community Squash.

Portland Community Squash Before Adaptive Transformation

A New Model for Community and Belonging

For Portland Community Squash (PCS), we transformed a former synagogue into a welcoming hub where people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities connect through sport. As the pioneer of the Community Squash Model, PCS needed a space that could grow with its mission and better serve the surrounding neighborhood. The squash addition introduces new squash courts, including a doubles court that supports a wider range of players. The entry addition provides a new shared “living room” and café that encourages community gathering. Updated strength and conditioning spaces and renovated inclusive locker rooms ensure that every visitor feels welcome.

Those two new additions shape the updated experience: a gathering space within the entry courtyard and a squash court volume to the east of the original sanctuary. Both additions respect the historic architecture while introducing warm exposed timber structure and textured metal cladding that connects the building to the scale and character of the residential neighborhood. The redesigned facility is more than a place to play. It is a center for belonging, where sport becomes a catalyst for connection and community.

Modern squash courts with players and spectators inside a bright community squash sports facility.

Portland Community Squash, Squash Courts

To bring this project to life, we helped align the design with Portland Community Squash’s fundraising goals, balancing material donations and scope adjustments to maximize impact.

Contemporary community squash center building facade with trees and pedestrians on sunny day.

Portland Community Squash, New Addition

Development of a strategic construction phasing plan allowed the facility to remain fully operational throughout the adaptive transformation.

Architectural diagram of building additions and connectivity of spaces.

From Tension to Transformation

Every adaptive reuse project starts with a moment of tension: a place already exists, yet the needs of today call for something different. Design becomes the bridge between the current state and what could be, helping us discover new opportunities and remove what no longer supports the purpose of the space. This evolution is evident across our Northeast sports and recreation facilities, where once single-use buildings are being reshaped into mixed-program hubs for competitive athletics, wellness, recreation, and education. We are also seeing adaptive transformation emerge as a national trend, with developers and institutions increasingly opting to transform existing assets into lively, engaging community destinations.

These projects have shown us that adaptive transformation is most successful when guided by intention. Thoughtful decisions, from cost-efficient strategies and the reuse of existing materials to rethinking program layouts and refining elements like wayfinding, branding, and lighting, allow spaces to reveal their fullest potential and create lasting value for future clients.

The transformation becomes real not when the construction is complete, but when people return, when students train, when neighbors gather, when life fills the space again. Design has the power to reveal potential that was always there.

Adaptive Reuse in Sports & Recreation: Breathing New Life into Community Spaces

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