Even before the flame was extinguished to bring to a close the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, many competitors were already contemplating what comes next. For Simone Biles, an American gymnast who was one of the sport's biggest stars even before winning Olympic Gold, what's next is a return to a brand new training facility in Houston, TX. The facility, christened the World Champions Centre, was constructed with a metal building system from Rigid Global Buildings.
Ground was broken for the nearly 50,000 sq. ft. facility in May 2014. Simone's adoptive parents, Ron and Nellie Biles, are the owners.
Rigid's involvement with the project began when it was contracted by LDF Construction Inc. to engineer and manufacture the building. Among its many features are large storefront windows to let in natural light, and a two-story office attached to the gym. The building is topped with a HiTech standing seam roof system with 24"-wide panels formed from bare Galvalume-coated steel. The building's shell is clad with 36"-wide reverse-rolled PBM metal wall panels that serve as a substrate for brick and stucco.
The building was completed in December 2015 and officially opened in May 2016.