The design of the Fort DuPont Ice Arena proposed a phased design for a 21st century, 100,000 sq. ft., $20 million ice skating rink in the heart of D.C. The proposed facility was intended to serve as a resource for community enrichment in addition to contributing to economic growth and neighborhood stability.

MMD leveraged a collaborative design approach to address this, by assembling an A/E team that included ice rink operations and management experts. Art Sutherland of Accent Refrigeration, an operations instructor for numerous ice facilities in Canada, USA, Japan, and Africa as well as one of the Region’s top rink managers, CRP Management, advised the best value systems and operational assets for Fort DuPont. End-user input was lead by Erica Ling, a 30-year ice-skating veteran, and practicing architect.

The final two-sheet design featured central operational facilities in the eastern sheet and grade level parking as part of Phase 1 implementation. The project layout was designed to take advantage of a central common amenity space shared between both ice rinks. This allowed a consolidation of design elements and a tight programmatic focus.  The Ice Arena included community amenities, shops, locker rooms, storage, spectator seating, kitchen, administrative spaces and the option of further expansion.