Enhancing the Ballpark Experience: NDSU Softball Complex Renovation

There are countless factors that influence how people experience the environment around them. These influences include sensory dynamics, such as light, noise, temperature, and sound, as well as memorable events, and variations in energy levels. It is important for architects and designers to understand exactly how each of these factors can affect their design. They must know how to properly utilize them in their work to create better spaces and environments for their clients and building users. This thesis uses case studies, historical research, and real-world experiences and observations to study the effects that various environmental elements have on the overall experience of a space. The end result will contain a set of general guidelines to consider when designing ballpark stadiums and why they are important. To show how this guide can improve overall experience in the ballpark, a proposed design solution will be derived through a renovation of the North Dakota State University Softball Complex in Fargo, North Dakota