UMD Covered Golf Hitting & Instruction Facility

This tensile structure is proposed for the University of Maryland Golf Course in College Park, MD. The new covered hitting & instruction facility will promote and extend golf practice for the University's golf teams and course patrons throughout the entire year.

The UMD is a Big Ten Conference school. The University 18-hole championship course is rated as a top 50 collegiate golf course. It is sustainably managed and one of only 19 International Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary-Golf Courses in Maryland.

The tensile design consists of primary vertical structural pylons, or masts, supporting a cable suspended fabric membrane roof. Multiple initial designs were considered. The Tensile version was ultimately selected due to its inherent expressive qualities. The structural vigor and honesty of a tensile design transforms the simple structure into a dynamic form which appears both nimble and athletic in nature.

The facility is located south of the main Club House entrance and sited at a lower grade elevation. As a result, the structure's roof design and appearance was a significant design consideration (see last far right cursor image).

The 2-tone fabric membrane roof promotes the signature Red & White University colors. The roof membrane is PVC coated polyester cloth. Side panels are made from a semi-transparent PVC mesh screen. For historic context, a common campus red brick is utilized for the low-wall base and entry portals at each pair of hitting stations.