Emory Sports Medicine Center
Brookhaven, Ga.
Award of Merit

Owner: Emory Healthcare
Owner: Hawks Player Development Facility LLC
Lead Design Firm/Structural Engineer: HOK
General Contractor: Brasfield & Gorrie LLC
Civil Engineer: Kimley-Horn
Steel Fabricator: Stein Steel and Supply Co.

For the fast-tracked construction of the Emory Sports Medicine Center, the project team opted to use seven design packages in order to keep the project on schedule and under budget. The two-story, 90,000-sq-ft facility serves as the official practice and training center for the Atlanta Hawks. It includes 30,000 sq ft for Emory Healthcare, housing the Emory Sports Medicine Center, Emory Physical Therapy and the Peak Performance Project. The first-of-its-kind facility also has expanded athletic performance training areas, a film room and a recovery room, among other amenities.

Most critical was the structural steel design package. For this, architect HOK and contractor Brasfield & Gorrie worked with Stein Steel to tailor a design release methodology that would allow steel to be detailed and released for fabrication in time to support the schedule. HOK would release structural steel design updates weekly, enabling Stein Steel and Brasfield & Gorrie to discuss changes and potential design considerations for streamlining production. This allowed the steel subcontractor to create and detail its shop drawings as the design progressed, enabling the team to maintain schedule.

The finished product pleased Atlanta Hawks officials. “We were able to deliver a world-class training facility two weeks ahead of schedule and 2% under budget,” stated Thad Sheely, chief operating officer with the Atlanta Hawks.