Vanderbilt University Huber Center

Nashville, United States

Opened in 2025
Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

What does design excellence look like? To us, it looks like the perfect solution — something that doesn’t just raise the bar, but quietly sets a new one. The Huber Center, nestled in Vanderbilt University’s historic campus in Nashville, does just this. This basketball training facility exhibits this excellence by optimizing every experience on campus, creating spaces that are intuitive, adaptable and built for long-term resonance.

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Vanderbilt University
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- Collegiate Facilities
- Elite Training Facilities

The complexity of the dense, urban site, located in the north end zone of Vanderbilt’s FirstBank Stadium, required innovative solutions. The triangular site was surrounded by immovable roads and adjacent buildings.

Seeing constraints as opportunities to think differently, we designed a vertically stacked building.

More than a workaround, this vertically stacked layout became central to the project’s design expression. Through stacking the facility, we preserved valuable square footage and provided an otherwise unachievable level of connectivity. An organizing element for the entire north end zone, the Huber Center creates cohesion between the surrounding athletic facilities and brings clarity and community to a once-fragmented corner of campus.

The design also reinforces Vanderbilt’s commitment to creating shared spaces with fair representation of men’s and women’s programs. With identical square footage, visibility and access for both teams, yet distinct design differences based on individual program needs, the architecture is both an emblem of equity and a tool for cohesion.

The Huber Center unfolds floor by floor, each level designed to optimize movement, efficiency and accessibility.

From the outset, the Huber Center melds Vanderbilt’s historic architecture with its forward-looking athletics program. Materials for the facility were meticulously selected to reinforce the heritage of Vanderbilt’s campus while setting a bold new vision for the athletics neighborhood. The result is an exterior that is both classic and contemporary, blending into the campus while setting a precedent for the future.

Vanderbilt challenged us to think creatively about how every space could work harder—not just functionally, but financially. The lobby became the heart of that strategy.

Our design for the Huber Center was a dual commitment to performance and legacy. From the athlete experience to the opportunities it creates for revenue generation, it's a campus asset that works hard for Vanderbilt on every level.

Al Harris

Senior Principal

Drawing on our expertise in hospitality design, we embedded hospitality infrastructure directly into the design of the lobby. With elements like operable mesh panels and a custom bar, we created a space that transforms from athlete commons to a premium event venue with ease.

On football game days, the lobby is a high-end hospitality environment with direct access to field-level seating. On every other day, the lobby remains a calm space that serves athletes, recruits and their families.

Our approach went beyond meeting Vanderbilt’s request. Through innovative design choices, we demonstrated how athletic spaces can transcend traditional molds to act as year-round, revenue generating assets for universities while never sacrificing amenities pivotal to athletes and coaches.

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Excellence on the court begins with strength beyond it. The Huber Center is created to develop not just better players, but stronger, smarter and more resilient athletes.

The vision Vanderbilt asked us to make a reality was one that went deeper than a traditional training facility. They asked for a space that reflected the shared community of Vanderbilt Athletics, both within its walls and across the broader athletics neighborhood.

Inside, the building unites two top-tier programs without compromise. Open to every level and alive with natural light, the central atrium anchors the space. Athletes, coaches and visitors cross paths daily — families viewing practice from above, teammates navigating between lifts and recovery and recruits seeing their first glimpse into the program. The design allows for a natural and lived sense of connection.

The Huber Center as a whole is a key component in realizing a larger vision. As part of Vanderbilt’s long-term athletics masterplan, it acts as a connector between the campus and the athletics district, strengthening the ties between once-disparate facilities. The spirit of community that the Huber Center offers, both internally and externally, is crucial in building a more connected campus for the future.

The Huber Center suits a university that dares to grow in so many ways, and it’s a facility worthy of the history and tradition of Vanderbilt men’s and women’s basketball. I can say with complete confidence that there is no better basketball facility in the nation.

Candice Storey Lee

Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director

So, what does design excellence look like? It looks like intentional simplicity that solves for technical complexity. A facility that makes a statement, not through excess, but through a commitment to elevating the athlete experience in every way. The Huber Center was built through genuine collaboration—with no barriers between disciplines and a shared team vision.

The end product is larger than a cohesive design. It’s a unified expression of purpose. Each detail, from the lobby to the locker room, reflects the same story: a commitment to excellence, equity and ongoing evolution.

Disciplines Provided at the Huber Center

Architecture
Architecture

The Huber Center’s vertically stacked design maximizes the limited triangular site, integrating into and uniting the athletics neighborhood with the main campus.

The exterior balances tradition and modernity, with lower levels clad in Vanderbilt’s limestone and crab orchard stone and the upper levels transitioning to more contemporary materials and expansive glazing. This duality is intentional, creating a visual narrative that ties Vanderbilt’s past with its aspirations for the future.

Inside, the facility is a model of equitable design, meeting specific programming requirements while maintaining a unified structure. Shared spaces are centrally located to ensure access for both teams, while training and restorative areas are dedicated to the unique needs of men and women athletes.

Threading all three floors together, the central spine serves as both a functional circulation path and a defining architectural feature, channeling daylight from the practice courts into every level.
Disciplines Provided at the Huber Center

↳ Architecture
Interior Design
Interior Design

The Huber Center interiors reflect the sophistication of Vanderbilt’s black, gold and white palette, achieving a look that is elevated and timeless. Equity drove the design from the beginning, with identical square footage and equally high levels of finish, differentiated only by the needs of each program. The women’s spaces are communal and home-like, while the men’s spaces take a more cutting-edge and focused approach.

Threading it together is the central spine, a daylit atrium that connects each level and sets the tone for the interiors. A wood feature wall is a subtle Vanderbilt “V,” while warm lighting creates a calm and inviting atmosphere. In contrast, cooler lighting fills the shared training area, where glulam beams and a float pod room elevate both form and function.

The men's program occupies the first floor, with a design that prioritizes focus and efficiency. An inward-facing head coach’s office fosters strategy development. The player’s lounge is a private and focused retreat, linked to the film room with an operable wall that flexes between casual and focused environments. The locker room reflects a moody, pro-level aesthetic, while the sun-washed practice court uses polycarbonate panels to diffuse natural light and acoustic treatments to control noise.

The second floor is the hub for training, strength and recovery, providing equal access for both teams. The weight room features plyometric zones, force plates, GPS tracking and glulam mass timber beams visible from the exterior. Recovery facilities include a HydroWorx 2000 rehab pool, hot and cold plunge pools and a float pod room.

The women’s program occupies the third floor and emphasizes openness, daylight and connection. Their practice court is overlooked by both a coach’s office and a spectator lounge, reinforcing transparency and visibility.
Disciplines Provided at the Huber Center

↳ Interior Design
Landscape Architecture
Landscape Architecture

The landscape design for the Huber Center extends Vanderbilt’s arboretum aesthetic into the athletics neighborhood. The entry plaza is framed by tree-lined pathways and intentional landscaping to create an inviting arrival experience. Permeable pavers, bioretention ponds and intentional greenery were used to create a natural transition between the main campus and athletics neighborhood. Features such as stormwater management systems and native plantings are used to reflect Vanderbilt’s commitment to sustainability.
Disciplines Provided at the Huber Center

↳ Landscape Architecture