In January 2013, the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Stiles Construction announced a joint venture partnership to create Seminole/Stiles, LLC. Since then, the venture has provided both Seminole Tribe of Florida and Stiles access to a range of real estate construction opportunities within the Native American tribal network. Among the projects completed by the company so far is the Howard Tiger Recreational Center in Hollywood, FL. One of its features is a airnasium, created utilizing a metal building framing system from Allied Steel Buildings of Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
The Howard Tiger Recreation Center is a property of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The 39,000 sq ft, two-story recreation facility began construction in December of 2013 and opened to the public in October 2014.
On the second floor, the Boys and Girls Club have designated space in the form of two multipurpose rooms, music room, classrooms, computer room, and studio. The facility ground floor contains a catering kitchen & buffet service area, a designated area for the Culture Department that features a teaching kitchen, classrooms, and a multipurpose room. There's also an airnasium outside, which features a full-size basketball court.
To develop the latter, Seminole/Stiles hired Allied Steel Buildings to furnish and install the foundation and open air building.
Eric Stephan, Vice President of Construction Services at Allied Steel Buildings managed the project. “Seminole/Stiles, LLC came to Allied Steel Buildings looking for an efficient solution for this area, which was receiving limited use due to exposure to the elements," explained Stephan. "At Allied, we were able to develop the design and offered construction services for both the foundations and the building that fit the property limitations and their budget.”
The airnasium is a 70’ x 102’ x 28’ steel structure that can accommodate several outdoor sporting activities throughout the seasons: basketball, street hockey, kickball and volleyball. Structures like it are becoming increasingly popular in sunny climates because they allow students to exercise and play outside and at the same time, be protected from the sun and rain. Airnasiums can also function as outdoor multipurpose rooms for meetings, assemblies and other school events.