Pan American Games Sports Venue

The building’s form is generated by the geometries of ballistic trajectories for the various shooting events. Excess planes not required to contain projectiles are cut away from the façade resulting in the distinctive, jagged outer appearance of the building. This became our driving sustainability strategy, as we shrank the building fabric to its minimum requirements, in turn reducing the material and construction requirements for the project.

The façade is constructed from low-priced and readily available H2 utility poles with an Indian summer orange stain. Using locally sourced materials and local construction techniques, it was possible us to create the ideal venue while meeting the project’s extremely limited budget. We maximized the use of renewable materials to further the project’s sustainability goals. Resulting in an equally visually striking and sustainable building meeting its strict technical requirements.

The 65 m long façades running the length of the range pop up to enclose the 10 m shooting range on the upper level, covering the firing line below. While on the lower level, the walls flank the combined 25 and 50 m open-air field of play. The ground floor is connected to the first floor by an outdoor ramp to better facilitate the high frequency of wheelchair traffic expected for the Para Pan Am Games.