•Owner: Trine University
•Construction Manager: JICI Construction
•Architect: Design Collaborative
•Structural Engineer: Engineering Resources, Inc.
•Audio/Video Contractor: New Era Technology
•Mechanical Contractor: Industrial Contracting & Engineering and Professional Fabricators
From the outside, Best Hall on the campus of Trine University in Angola echoes the mid-century vintage building style from the 1960s, when it was erected. But inside, a 5,600-square-foot auditorium space has been reimagined into a cutting-edge facility that taps into the latest technology to boost the university’s competitive gaming and experiential learning experiences.
The new Mark and Sarah Music / Ruoff Mortgage Esports Arena at Trine opened in the fall of 2024. It boasts 60 state-of-the-art gaming computers, practice booths, streaming studios, and a battle stage that also includes a seating area for spectators. A broadcast booth enables live streaming of electronic sporting events.
Esports is an organized video game competition program growing in popularity with an estimated annual revenue growth reaching $1.6 billion in the U.S. by 2029. It is especially popular among colleges and universities to foster collaboration and engagement, heighten diverse career opportunities, and strengthen recruitment and enrollment efforts.
According to Jeremy Goossens, Director of Esports at Trine, the university has had the program in place since 2017, and the new arena will now allow for major growth and expansion.
“We went from 77 participants in the program last semester to 150 players this semester. We outgrew the space we had,” said Goossens. “Now, not only do we have more space, but we are also perfectly in the center of the campus.”
Creating a New Vision
There is much to consider when updating a building that has stood for more than six decades. However, reconstructing a space to integrate highly advanced technology and specialized purposes required additional levels of attention by the arena’s architect team, Design Collaborative, and builder, JICI Construction.
“The space chosen for the arena was previously a tiered lecture hall, which was an ideal starting point. It provided the ability to combine the team’s day-to-day gaming experience with a stage and spectator seating for competitions. The arena stage required more space than the previous lecture hall had in the front for teaching, so we designed a platform up several tiers allowing the stage to grow by absorbing the first few rows of lecture hall seats,” said Tim Terman, Partner and Senior Architect for Design Collaborative. “Jeremy challenged us to tear down the walls surrounding the former lecture hall so the broadcast booth and additional enclosed gaming rooms could have views into the arena.”
Design plans for the arena officially began in 2023, noted Terman who said many of the design features provided dual benefits, including the removal of a low ceiling in the back of the lecture hall which not only gave the appearance of a larger space but allowed for the large and high-resolution video walls designed by New Era Technology to be installed higher above the stage. In addition, the new raised stage floor not only created a large gaming space for the arena but also provided a crawl space that will allow Trine officials to reconfigure the stage in the future.
“Likewise, removing the walls surrounding the former lecture hall also created views into the arena for anyone walking past Best Hall, making the Esports program very visible on campus,” Terman said.
Remastering the Original
Ken Wilson, president of JICI Construction, said once the room for the new arena was determined, the first order of business was to identify what they already had to work with.
“We had to see if we had enough electric and heating to accommodate the new space and if the coiling loads were going to be effective. And because technology is a big thing in the arena, we had to make sure there was enough broadband to the facility to accommodate the 100 users at any given time,” he said. “We also had to figure out how to add sound. In a classroom setting, there is one speaker. But in an arena, where even though the gamers are wearing headphones with microphones when they are talking, it’s important that the spectators can hear everything because the space is completely interactive for everyone.”
Wilson said when working with the older building, construction crews did experience some difficulties from building materials and methods that, while were proper back then, would need to be updated for the new arena. He said hidden sanitary drains and storm drainers needed attention, and some structural issues posed challenges that the company would have to overcome, especially in the stage and raised flooring area.
Construction for the arena occurred while class was in session at Trine, an additional consideration Wilson said his crews had to maneuver. But having worked with the university for their construction needs for 25 years, he said the process ran smooth and work on the technologically-intense project that began in March wrapped up by August.
Not Just a Game
The esports arena at Trine is more than just a gaming area, noted Goossens, who said the space was also created for other academic purposes.
“We designed it so that it can easily be modified for other events,” he said. “It is super easy to remove the desks and give open space for students who, for example, are presenting engineering projects. Faculty can give a class in the arena, and it allows them to livestream and record for students who may be joining online.”
In addition, Goossen said the space is used to help encourage local high school students who can visit the video gaming arena as a reward for good academic achievement. The larger, more advanced arena also helps Trine expand its existing partnership with Easterseals which has grown its national esports program tremendously. Trine’s updated arena will continue to offer Easterseals Northern Indiana’s access to technology and training opportunities on a wider scale.
“Esports is a fantastically broad and inclusive program allowing people of all abilities to compete and enjoy gaming together,” Terman said. “We can’t wait to see where Trine University’s program goes in the future.”