A long term collaboration between the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester, the Martin Richard Foundation and the City of Boston, The Fieldhouse+ groundbreaking celebrated an exciting milestone in the project's path to completion!

The ceremony was attended by over 200 people, with state and city officials joining Bill Richard, the co-founder of the Martin Richard Foundation and Bob Scannell, the president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester (BGCD). The Fieldhouse+, set to be completed in 2026, will provide the children of Boston with not only an indoor turf field for year-round intramural sports, but also a whole host of learning and gathering spaces. The 75,000+ square feet of community-oriented space will serve the 50,000+ young people who live within three miles of its Columbia Point location with facilities and amenities not limited to indoor courts, a turf field, walking track, teaching kitchen, roof garden, theatre, fitness center, conference rooms and more.

A project seven years in the making, The Fieldhouse's design centers on the concept of intersectionality and aims to create a beacon for the community. A lighted core serves as the grounding point for the two large volumes that make up the building, uniting the athletic and educational facilities. Simple, but durable industrial materials work together in creating a welcoming, accessible environment for young people to learn, grow and create community with each other for years to come.

Beyond providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all, the Fieldhouse+ design paid close attention to its impacts on the environment, designing around enhanced sustainability and resiliency measures. The all-electric project meets LEED Gold standards and aims to be a Net Zero Carbon facility. The Fieldhouse not only will ensure climate resiliency and a safe place for the community during extreme weather events, but also serve as a learning tool for visitors to see these design elements in action.

Learn more about RODE's approach to designing the BGCD Fieldhouse+ here!

We would not announce this milestone without recognizing the programming idea behind the Fieldhouse and the voices that helped shape it. The Club and Martin Richard Foundation gathered both adults and teens within the community who took the singular idea of an "athletic shed" and turned it into so much more. With their input, feedback, and ideas, our notion developed into a multi-faceted space for wellness, learning, and exercise.

Three words define the program of the Fieldhouse—ACCESSIBLE, meaning adaptive and inclusive to all; FLEXIBLE, meaning that indoor and outdoor spaces address dynamic and changing needs; and INTENTIONAL, meaning the opportunities for community benefit and personal growth are embedded in every square foot.

We are thrilled to take the next step forward in creating this truly transformative project with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester and Martin Richard Foundation, as well as our collaborative all-star team: The Green Engineer, Howard Stein Hudson, Goulston & Storrs, Lee Kennedy Company, LAM Lighting & Design, BET Building Envelope Technologies, LeMessurier, Cosentini Associates, BR + A Consulting Engineers, Haley & Aldrich, Stoss Landscape Urbanism, Dot Joyce Consulting, CSL Consulting, and Joyce Strategies LLC.

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