Small Budget, Big Improvements for HS Athletic Fields

The practice fields at Fauquier High School in Warrenton, VA have been well-used for decades, serving thousands of student athletes and other community sports teams. Years of use have left the fields badly in need of renovation. With limited funding in place to support the project, the school had long been strategizing a solution to update the practice fields and make other improvements to the athletic facilities.

With many personal connections to the school, Bohler’s Warrenton team eagerly joined the project team to support the student athletes and the community. They provided civil engineering, permitting, and survey services to design three new regulation-sized fields, as well as one smaller field, now known as the Falcon Sports Spot.

Keeping the budget top of mind, Bohler’s team created opportunities to cut costs and add field space, resulting in a cost-effective design that maximized the school district’s budget and return on investment.

Effective Drainage Creates Additional Field Space

The existing design could not take full advantage of the site. Drainage ditches separated the fields, limiting field size and creating unusable space. Bohler designed a new drainage system within the existing ditches, enabling them to be filled and used for additional playing area. In maximizing the usable square footage, Bohler incorporated an additional small field into the design.

Earthwork Strategy Saves Cost

With earthwork required to enclose the ditches, Bohler’s team conducted an earthwork analysis and created a strategy that ultimately reduced the cut and fill required. This solution minimized the soil export, a costly budget line item.

Proactive Measures to Advance Approvals

Bohler faced an extensive permitting process, as the site lies in the jurisdiction of both the Town of Warrenton and Fauquier County. The team coordinated closely with agencies in both municipalities, in addition to hosting several stakeholder meetings with the local high school administration and the County school board. Bohler’s proactive coordination simplified the process and enabled the team to successfully secure approvals quickly.

Bohler’s team innovated ways to cut costs, while maximizing every dollar spent and taking advantage of opportunities to use the site more effectively. Ultimately, this resulted in more field space that the school’s athletic teams can use for years to come.