The rugged hills of Flagstaff, Arizona are gleaming with the brand-new Nothern Arizona University Student-Athlete Performance Center. The new home of the Lumberjacks is a 72,000-square-foot facility that includes the country’s largest high-altitude training center on a college campus. With classrooms, study areas and research labs, the performance center is a one-stop shop for student-athletes. The gleaming $47 million facility opened in 2022, paying homage to athletes past, present and future.

The NAU Student-Athlete Performance Center is deeply entrenched in nature. DLR Group designed a 140-foot pedestrian bridge at the entrance. A nearly 200-seat theater features stunning views of the Ponderosa pine forest and Humphreys Peak. Nearly every space in the facility has sweeping vistas of the surrounding environment.

Insulated metal panels from Kingspan Insulated Panels - North America make up 25,500 sq. ft. of the facility. The KS Mini Micro-Rib panels in black are bold, giving the facility a sleek look that stands out from the surrounding forest. The dark Mini Micro-Rib aesthetic provides a contrast to the lighter parts of the building.

The Northern Arizona University Student-Athelete Performance Center is located in one of the snowiest cities in the United States with around 100 inches per year. For installer Fleming West Building Company, time was of the essence to close the building envelope. Insulated metal panels are an all-in-one solution that can be erected quickly, when compared with traditional wall assemblies. With thermal performance a priority for the athletic facility to keep temperatures steady, the KS Series panels have R-values of up to 8 per inch when equipped with QuadCore® insulation core.

The new home of the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks incorporates high-tech training with a whole-athlete approach to life on campus. With a modern design, the facility maintains a connection to nature and the surrounding Flagstaff area.