Every year for the last nine years Pendulum has completed a new or substantially renovated ballpark in addition to other civic and/or boutique projects. In the last three years we’ve made a conscious effort to shift our focus from a traditional architectural delivery methodology to a process that encourages a curating of the built environment.
Most of our clients as well as the users of our buildings are heavily influenced by art, fashion, food, music, environment, and automobiles just to name a few. The combination of these elements in interior and exterior spaces fosters enhanced user experiences. There is a certain vibe that people are looking for when they attend events in or around our facilities. Most people don’t spend much time thinking about why something is cool or why it feels right, but they immediately know when something is off, when the vibe is not authentic.
Our job as curators of the built environment is to design experiences that feel effortlessly appropriate and ahead of the curve. This design journal exposes you to some of our triumphs as well as our process. It is evidence that we not only talk the talk…we live it.
2017 marked a number of milestones for Pendulum. We celebrated our 10 year anniversary, opened Jimmy John’s Field, and witnessed the incredible journey of the Hartford Yard Goats with the opening of Dunkin’ Donuts Park – the 2017 recipient of http://www.baseballparks.com “Ballpark of the Year” Award.
Pendulum also enjoyed a couple nice key wins on deck for 2019 and 2020. following the opening of our Coastal Plains League (CPL) facility in Holly Springs Pendulum was awarded the role of Architect of Record for the Fuse District Multi-Use Complex in Gastonia, NC (also CPL). The Fawley Bryant/Pendulum team won the design of the new Atlanta Braves spring training complex currently under construction in North Port, FL.
As we look ahead to 2018 we are in eager anticipation of opening two new Pendulum facilities, Willie Horton Field of Dreams for the Detroit Police Athletic League and Historic Luther Williams Field, home of the Macon Bacon (the absolute best team name ever – keep sizzling!).
Finally, at the 2017 Baseball Winter Meetings in Orlando we released our new Sports centric flip book/digital brochure that graphically highlights several of our aforementioned project milestones. Check it out here: www.pendulumsport.com
The Pendulum keeps swinging….
Acknowledgements:
Dunkin’ Donuts Park Photo Credit – Robert Benson Photography
Our Clients – Thank you for encouraging us to keep taking chances and pushing the envelope.
Hartford, Conn., August 11, 2017 – Dunkin’ Donuts Park, home of the Colorado Rockies’ Eastern League affiliate Hartford Yard Goats, has been awarded BaseballParks.com’s “Ballpark of the Year”. The award was announced in the August 9th edition of USA TODAY Sports Weekly by Joe Mock, webmaster and founder of BaseballParks.com and frequent contributor to USA TODAY.
This prestigious honor has been awarded to new or substantially renovated ballparks for the last 18 years, and this year in particular featured formidable competition. Dunkin’ Donuts Park was selected from an all-star cast of facilities including SunTrust Park, the new home of the Atlanta Braves, and The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, the spring training home of the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals.
Jonathan Cole, founding principal of Kansas City, MO-based Pendulum, was Architect of Record for Dunkin’ Donuts Park. He was joined by key members of the design team including Peter Newman, principal of Newman Architects and The S/L/A/M Collaborative’s Rick Bouchard, Chris Sziabowski, and Derek Czenczelewski on the pregame announcement with Joe Mock on the Yard Goats’ radio broadcast.
“As Architects and designers, we work diligently to make positive contributions to the built environment” said Cole. “When our work is recognized as being significant in the sports marketplace, in the local community, and nationally by an institution like BaseballParks.com, it is incredibly meaningful. Joe Mock has visited 349 ballparks and counting, so when he and his distinguished panel say a ballpark is good, it carries a lot of weight. We are deeply appreciative of this honor. It’s something we’ll never forget. It was even more special that we were able to be present with the team when it was announced.”
Joe Mock added “I actually visited the ballpark while it was still under construction. I could tell immediately that it was going to be something special. When I came back to check out the finished product, I was blown away. Not only is it supremely fun to attend a Yard Goats game, the design of the park itself is spectacular. It has the intimacy of small Minor League park, while providing all the amenities of a big-league stadium. From the YG Club behind home plate to the Budweiser Sky Bar high above center field, every inch of Dunkin’ Donuts Park is well-thought-out and expertly designed. This really sets the bar for any Minor League park to be built in the future.”
Dunkin’ Donuts Park now joins an elite list of award recipients, including Major League Baseball stadium icons like AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, and PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“The design of Dunkin’ Donuts Park is timeless, a generous mix of the baseball nostalgia, that people love coupled with forward thinking amenities that offer our fans a big-league experience in a very compact footprint,” added Josh Solomon, owner of the Yard Goats. “The fact that the ballpark is creating the excitement that we hoped it would with the fans, which will lead to further transformation of the surrounding neighborhoods, is proof that the city of Hartford picked the right design team for the job.”
“Dunkin’ Donuts Park is a spectacular ballpark that combines the intimate, family-friendly feel of Minor League ball with the architectural quality of a big-league park,” according to Hartford’s Mayor Luke Bronin. “That’s one of the reasons Yard Goats games are selling out week after week and bringing thousands of fans and families to the downtown, which really adds to the City’s energy. It’s an honor to have BaseballParks.com recognize that the result truly stands out among parks across the country, including several Major League facilities.”
Today’s featured project is Dunkin’ Donuts Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats located in Hartford, CT.
This project has been under such scrutiny for the last three years that unless for some reason you’ve been stranded on a deserted island or hiding under a rock and missed all the happenings you should be up to date. If not please check out the in-depth review by Joe Mock of http://www.baseballparks.com(Joe Mock is a noted ballpark aficionado and freelance journalist for USA TODAY). With over 7,000 words describing the ballpark we’re not sure there’s anything else we can say about it that he hasn’t…well maybe a few things but we’ll save that for cocktail hour conversations.
The Right Field “Knuckle”
Connecticare Outfield Group Area
View From Left Field Seating
Premium Suite Interior
Premium Suite Graphic Wall
Team Store View
VIP Lobby
YG Club Interior
Main Concourse Signage
Stay tuned for our next Dunkin’ Donuts Park post, we’ll be launching a walking tour of the facility.
