Construction is scheduled to begin in September for an expansion of the Rancho Cienega  Sports Complex, according to an announcement today by SPF:architects.

The 29-acre facility - located at 5001 Rodeo Road - will see the construction of prefabricated buildings that will add a 23,000-square-foot swimming pool facility, a 16,000-square-foot basketball gymnasium, a partially-enclosed walking track, two seating areas for an existing tennis center and stadium, and an enclosed garden.

The new construction will incorporate passive energy features including day-lighting through solar tubes, natural ventilation, geothermal heating, and rooftop solar arrays.  The existing Rancho Cienega swimming pool is to be decommissioned and reused as a rainwater storage tank for irrigation purposes.  The project is seeking LEED Silver certification.

“When we started work, we were emotionally taken by the history and sense of community of this place,” says Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, SPF:a’s founder and Design Principal. “That has translated into a rigorous design approach that reflects the community and the sport that takes place there. I am thrilled to see it to completion.”

Rancho Cienega has played an instrumental role in the history of many prominent athletes from the Los Angeles area - including Venus and Serena Williams.  The expansion of the facility will occur in a fashion that allows its existing offerings to remain open during the course of construction, which is expected to conclude in 2020.

In addition to SPF, the project team also includes landscape architecture firm Hood Design Sudio and engineer Buro Happold.