In 2013, Michigan State University’s football team won every single game played at Spartan Stadium. This year, the players will grab their gear from lockers featuring Banker Wire mesh before walking onto the field that saw so many victories.
Colleges and universities increasingly rely on state-of-the-art facilities to recruit athletes. In the past, however, Michigan State football coaches avoided showing recruits their outdated home locker room. Now, after a substantial addition, the Spartans have a locker room to be proud of. The new locker room was included in the addition of a 50,000-square-foot North End Zone Complex, which was designed by Integrated Design Solutions.
The 5,000-square-foot locker room, called the Rachel Fairman Adams Spartan Locker Room, after the late mother of former MSU and NFL offensive lineman Flozell Adams, leaves no question of the identity of its home team. A Spartans carpet covers its floor, photos of the team decorate its walls, and green accents are interspersed throughout the space. Every detail is tended to – including the lockers themselves, which are embellished with Banker Wire woven wire mesh.
“We looked at several materials to use as embellishments. Banker Wire mesh had an upscale look and was still durable enough to use in an athletic environment,” says Ann Green, senior associate with Integrated Design Solutions and the interior designer of the North End Zone Complex.
Integrated Design Solutions sought an alternative to traditional wood lockers. For that purpose, they turned to Banker Wire, eventually selecting the M44-2 weave. This pattern features groups of four wires that intersect in a plaid-like pattern, adding visual interest to the lockers, and allowing their users to place hangers and other items almost anywhere they choose. In stainless steel, it complements the Spartan green used throughout the facility.
The M44-2 weave used at Michigan State University is a lock crimp pattern. Lock crimps are characterized by straight sections of wire connected by a well-defined “bump” at their intersections. Thanks to these strong connection points, lock crimp offers strength essential for a facility used by some of the nation’s best college athletes. Before playing hard on the field, players can grab their gear from hard-working, durable Banker Wire mesh.
“The Banker Wire technical staff was very willing to work with us and find the best possible answers to our questions,” says Adrian La Tona, architectural designer, Integrated Design Solutions.
The $24.5 million renovation was completed in August 2014. The project team also included general contractor Barton Malow, Southfield, MI. Barton Malow’s CEO is a Michigan State graduate.