If your company or organization is looking to design a sports complex, there are a few fundamental factors you'll need to take into consideration. Many of these factors, such as establishing the types of sports your facility will host and figuring out the needs of your user-base, will all play into your design decisions. Before you start reaching out to contractors to build the complex, you'll need to establish a baseline understanding of what qualities make these facilities stand out to users.

Learning more about sports complex architecture design is crucial for your lasting success. Consider the following tips for designing athletic complexes:

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Determine Which Activities Your Sports Complex Will Host

As you design your sports complex, the first step will be to decide what activities you're planning to host. By knowing what sports you want people to play at your facility, you can start developing your sports complex architecture design concept. Since each sport requires a different type of field or court, you'll need to ensure your sports complex has the appropriate space and facilities.

Consider some of the following sports and what you may want to include in your outdoor or indoor sports facility design:

Baseball:

Since baseball is one of the most popular sports in the United States, baseball fields can be a very popular choice for most sports complexes. However, remember that different age groups and leagues rely on different sized fields, so you may want to plan to have multiple.

Basketball: Basketball is played everywhere, from neighborhoods with a single hoop to full-blown gyms. A variety of sports complexes can host basketball courts, as the game can be played outdoors on concrete pavement and indoors on specialty wood flooring. Basketball courts are an excellent addition to a sports complex, as they can be used for pickup games, local leagues and tournaments.

Soccer: Though soccer is often dwarfed by baseball, basketball and football in terms of the attention that tends to be given to their professional leagues in the United States, it's still a very popular game. Youth leagues, schools and other groups all play on soccer fields in sports complexes. A high school field will be somewhere between 100 to 120 yards long and 55 to 80 yards wide, so you'll need to plan to have plenty of space outdoors.

Football: Football is a sport you may or may not plan to have at your sports complex due to its designation as a high contact sport. If you do choose to include it, a fully painted field with end-zones can be a fan favorite of gentler versions of the game like flag football or touch football. The field can also be used for games like Ultimate Frisbee, making it a versatile addition to your complex.

Racquetball: You can find racquetball courts indoors or outdoors all over the country. The game hosts two to four people, with players bouncing balls off of walls as they try to score points. A court's walls will need to be around 20 feet high, with a length of 40 feet and a width of 20 feet. There are some variances between indoor and outdoor courts, so any sports complex will need to take those differences into account.

Tennis: The game of tennis can be played on a variety of surfaces, but clay, grass, hard and carpet courts are most common. Hard courts are regularly thought of as the best, due to their easy maintenance, durability and user-friendliness.

In addition to determining which games are going to be played at your sports complex and ensuring you have the space for the appropriate fields and courts, your complex will also need to consider adding facilities that complement the sports being played.

Locker rooms are often a favorite of sports complexes, since they give athletes a place to safely store their belongings while they play the game. These locker rooms are often paired with bathrooms to give visitors a private place to use the restroom, take a shower and get changed. Of course, bathrooms are also needed throughout your sports complex to make sure you can accommodate the needs of visitors.

For the more ambitious facilities, pools are often an amenity that bring in more people to a sports complex. Pools can be indoors and outdoors, with areas for people to sit around them to sunbathe and relax. Some sports complexes will also have indoor athletic facilities that house weights and other workout machines.

Deciding on your amenities will largely come down to the people you are trying to attract to your sports complex. Ensure that your sports complex has the facilities, courts and other amenities needed to give your target audience the best experience possible.

Consider the Needs of Players and Spectators

Knowing how to start a sports facility often comes down to the types of people using it. Generally, you'll have players, spectators and staff all using your facilities regularly. In order for your facilities to give the best experience to all of these groups, your athletic complex design considerations should take all of the different needs of your users into account. Some of the main user groups you'll need to think about are as follows:

Players: Having the courts, fields and equipment that players need is crucial to their satisfaction. For example, basketball players won't likely want to come to your complex if you have a single basket, as they'll want a full-court and two baskets. Besides having high-quality areas for games, you may also want to think about if players will require changing areas, locker rooms and specialty parking, among other amenities.

Spectators: Though players often get the most attention, it's also important to take your spectators' comfort and needs into account. Complexes that regularly host tournaments and other events that draw crowds will want to consider adding seating for fans, accessible parking for large buses or vans, snack booths and conveniently located parking.

Members: Your members will be a user base that has higher expectations than regular spectators or players who may use your facilities as guests or at tournaments. Your members will likely expect fitness facilities to be available even when tournaments are taking place. They'll also expect a smooth check-in process, convenient parking, clean locker rooms and other amenities that make them more comfortable.

To help your design, try to answer some of these questions when determining how to improve your visitors’ experiences the most and meet their needs: