Georgia Southern’s New Kinesiology Research Laboratories

Located on Georgia Southern’s main campus in Statesboro, Georgia, the Hanner Fieldhouse complex is comprised of numerous facilities shared between athletics and university programming including a 4,235 seat multipurpose arena, support facilities and a long-vacated and under-utilized former pool facility that was infilled in 2008 on the northwest side of the complex.

In 2017, Hussey Gay Bell was contracted to design the transformation of the former pool facility into a new state-of-the-art Kinesiology Research Lab designed to help athletes, first responders, and people with disabilities avoid injuries, strengthen performance and improve their quality of life. The renovated space includes four labs: two biomechanics labs with one-of-a-kind recessed floor plates; a motor control lab; and a human performance lab with recessed treadmills. Each lab provides space for students and interns to have the opportunity to conduct ongoing research. In addition to the research labs, scope of work included patient consulting rooms, new offices, breakrooms, restrooms, and storage space.  Renovating the unused space in Hanner provided the much-needed facility to create custom-designed research labs and returned the retrofitted space that temporarily housed some labs to a gymnasium for the University athletic department and instructional use.  In addition, various life/safety issues within the Fieldhouse, including code compliance with the current NFPA and life-safety codes and regulations were addressed to bring the Fieldhouse into code compliance. Under a separate contract, Hussey Gay Bell also provided design and construction administration for the roof and roof deck replacement.  Funding was provided through the State of Georgia.