IIDA NE 2023 Awards Recognize SLAM in the Education Category

UGA Track and Field locker room entry branding in Athens, GA

BOSTON, September 21, 2023—At the 16th Annual Design Awards for the New England Chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA NE), SLAM took home the win in the Education under 50,000 SF category for its work on the University of Georgia Butts-Mehre Track & Field project. The award was conferred at the 16th annual Awards Gala in the restored SoWa Power Station in the historic South End.

IIDA New England represents over 12,000 members across the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The organization celebrates the impact of design on the human experience, and advocates for the legal recognition of the profession while promoting a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive industry.

“SLAM is delighted to be recognized at the IIDA New England 2023 Design Awards,” says Senior Associate Tracy Herzer.  “The strength and character of Coach Caryl and her team was epitomized in this highly branded environment that supports nutrition, preparation, down-time, historical inspiration, and current super stars.”

The home team locker room. 

The University of Georgia has some of the best track and field athletes in the country, many of whom represent the U.S. in the Olympic games. UGA needed a Track and Field locker facility that complemented its outstanding program. The transformation from football into a center for track, cross country, and field sports completely re-imagines the character of the environments. Visual elements of track lanes, throwing events, and branded abstract graphics created a vibrant and immersive environment that helps drive team pride and personal excellence.

The new locker suite provides proximity to competition and practice tracks, and easy access to best-in-class facilities that support all aspects of the athletes’ collegiate career. Directly off the track venues is a mudroom with high-end shoe dryers and branded super graphics. Track lanes line the ceiling, walls, and floor: carpet lanes take the athletes down a corridor filled with UGA branding and memorabilia reinforcing a legacy of excellence with each passage. This is a show piece on the recruiting tour and part of an important regimen to protect gear and athletes’ minds and bodies. In a sport of mostly individual events, the women have a “look good, play good” beauty bar for team and self-esteem building. The visitor suite entrance is an immersive leap into the world of track and field, with dynamic displays and powerful UGA graphics.

Read more about another recent award for SLAM.