• ​USC athletics has a special facility at One Wood Farms in Blythewood, SC. This farm serves as the training and practice facility for the 2013 SEC Champion USC Equestrian team. It also serves as the competition venue for the team. Located in Blythewood, which itself is an equestrian community, this facility has become part of the town culture and a popular weekend attraction when the competition comes to town. The existing locker room facility did not meet NCAA gender equity standards, and the GMK team coupled with the Athletics staff determined that a replacement of the existing spaces into a new facility was warranted. 

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• GMK provided site assessment information to the coaches and staff in an effort to understand the site utilization on a day-to-day basis. Proper placement of the new facility would be paramount to its success since the farm activities are spread out in multiple buildings. According to the coaches, if it is not in the correct place, it will not get used. Working with the user groups and the staff, GMK located the facility in the center of the campus near the main pedestrian flows, a location that at first glance seemed inappropriate. With analysis and teamwork between the coaches, staff and design team, consensus for the location was finalized. A rural equestrian aesthetic was selected for the facility to blend with the unique and picturesque existing venue. The facility was to be in keeping with the existing farm environment, but also be designed as an exciting new facility that is important to the equestrian team. The facility will be an important recruiting tool, but will also be used for team activity space. It includes a team meeting/lounge area, locker rooms, showers, and exterior hardscaped areas for exterior common space.
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