Plymouth State University Ice Arena, Plymouth, N.H.
Posted
01/10/2012
A feature of the Plymouth State University campus, the Ice Arena
features a 4,000-square-foot welcome center inviting visitors to
the campus. The facility is 60,000 square feet and home to an
NHL-size rink, locker rooms, athletic training rooms and coaches'
offices. The arena seats 860 fans and also serves the surrounding
community as a venue for recreational skating and special
events.
In addition to its large size, the facility also includes an
innovative geothermal system that actually creates ice as well as
heats the building.
"Plymouth State is committed to respecting the environment,"
says Bill Massey, principal with 
architect, Sasaki Associates. "Working
within a very tight, fixed budget, we sought to implement ambitious
sustainability initiatives. There are only a few ice arenas in the
country that have a similar geothermal system."
To create the arena, Construx Inc. installed more than 15,000
square feet of Metl-Span's 3-inch CF-36 Architectural Flat
insulated wall panels in Metallic Silver, Regal Gray and Polar
White. The Metl-Span panels interface with masonry on the Welcome
Center portion and a CME block base that runs the length of the
arena. The facility is an integral component of the ALLWell Center,
a master-planned 60-acre campus dedicated to athletics, recreation
and related academic programs.
General contractor: Wright-Ryan Construction
Inc., Portland, Maine
Architect: Sasaki Associates, Boston
Installer: Construx Inc., Portland, Maine
Mechanical engineer: Rist-Frost-Shumway
Engineering, Laconia, N.H.
Metal wall panels: Metl-Span, Lewisville,
Texas, www.metl-span.com