Sports and Recreation

Ken Garff Red Zone South Stadium Expansion

University of University / Salt Lake City, Utah

Our team provided sustainable mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and technology systems design and services for the $85 million, 120,000 SF expansion to the South End Zone at Rice Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah.

The five-level project fully encloses the stadium and provides a continuous concourse around the stadium—adding 6,049 seats to increase total stadium capacity to 51,444. Features and amenities in the expansion also include advanced home and away-team locker rooms, club space, lodge boxes, and a rooftop terrace.

We worked as an integral member of the design team to successfully meet project challenges which included relocating a network of complex underground utilities, not only for the expansion, but for the relocation of the landmark 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics Cauldron on the stadium site.

Mechanical engineering services met the University’s requirement for zero site emissions by repurposing an existing irrigation well to serve as the heat source and sink for an open-loop water-source heat pump to provide all space conditioning and domestic water heating. The size and capacity of the water heating system are carefully balanced with hot water storage tanks to meet the high game-day demand while still operating efficiently for day-to-day use.

Another unique aspect of our services included the use of special LED lighting as part of the overall building aesthetic and brand. In certain areas, these lights can be sequenced to play along with music and videos to create an exciting atmosphere and fan experience in the stadium. In the locker room, red LED lights and black metal geometric panels extend across the entire space—a lighting design feature which also enhances the university brand and athlete experience.

Colvin Engineering and Envision Engineering completed this project before the merger.