Market
Engineering for Sports & Entertainment Venues
RSP Engineers sports and entertainment venues. We design site solutions for stadiums, arenas and athletic complexes.
Engineering the Venues that Host Unforgettable Moments
We deliver specialized engineering to create sports and entertainment venues. From community athletic fields and collegiate training centers to professional stadiums and multipurpose arenas, we design facilities that are safe, dynamic, and built to perform. Our integrated team understands the unique challenges of these high-profile projects that enhance the fan experience, support peak athletic performance, and create lasting community landmarks.
Meeting the Needs
of Sports and Entertainment
The sports and entertainment sector is growing, with global stadium construction spending projected to exceed $20 billion by 2030. We are prepared and ready to deliver:
- Site Planning and Design: Fan-friendly layouts for accessibility and safety, supported by our Planning & Site Investigation Services.
- Infrastructure Development: High-traffic infrastructure for venues, using Engineering Land Development.
- Sustainability: Eco-friendly designs, like energy-efficient systems, through our Civil & Environmental Engineering Services.
- Permitting Expertise: Navigating complex regulations to get permits quickly.
- Construction Oversight: Quality control through Civil Construction Administration.
Specialized Engineering for High-Performance Venues
Sports and entertainment facilities are complex structures that have to accommodate large crowds, specialized equipment and demanding operational schedules. Our collaborative approach ensures every engineering discipline works together to deliver a venue that is both iconic and functional.
Site & Civil Engineering for the Whole Fan Experience
A great venue experience goes beyond the building itself. That is the reason for designing the whole site to ensure safe and efficient movement for thousands of fans.
- Venue & Campus Circulation: We provide site planning, designing road networks, pedestrian plazas and clear wayfinding to manage large crowds.
- Parking & Access: We do traffic and parking studies to design solutions that minimize congestion and make it easy for fans to get to and from the event.
- Athletic Facility Design: We design all types of athletic surfaces, natural and synthetic turf fields, tracks and court facilities with focus on drainage, durability and performance.
Permitting for Sports & Entertainment Facilities
Building large public assembly venues requires a complex permitting and approval process. We have the experience to guide your project through every regulatory hurdle. We manage the web of approvals from local zoning and building permits to environmental compliance for stormwater under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program.
We take care of the site development permits, and we work with local authorities to obtain zoning changes, special use permits and site plan approvals for mission-critical facilities. Our experience with city/municipal and county governments across the country means a smooth and efficient process.
We engage with local authorities, community stakeholders, and regulatory agencies early in the process to ensure a smooth path to approval, keeping your project on schedule and budget. For help with your next project, contact our team today.
Built on Trust
What does a stadium or arena site need from civil engineering?
Site design for a venue that fills and empties in minutes: circulation and egress, parking and transit interface, grading, drainage sized for large impervious areas, and the utilities an event load requires.
How does crowd movement affect the site design?
It sets the geometry. Pedestrian routes, queueing space, transit drop-off and vehicle circulation are designed for the peak rather than the average, because the peak is the entire operational problem.
What about the fields and courts themselves?
Athletic surfaces carry their own grading and drainage requirements, and natural turf in particular depends on subsurface drainage that has to be designed with the site's soils and the stormwater system.
Which approvals are involved?
Site development and building permits, access and traffic approvals from whoever controls the surrounding roads, and the environmental permits applicable to the site. Venues often attract additional local review because of their impact.
What do you need from me to start?
The site, the venue type and capacity, the event profile, and any survey, geotechnical report or concept plans.