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50 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / DECEMBER 2017
Inside & Out(side) Design Concepts
The West Fields at Highland Heritage Park in
Douglas County recently celebrated the opening of
two new synthetic turf fields. Both fields feature
GreenFields synthetic turf and Carolina High Mast
self-lowering LED lights.
The West Fields are among the first locations in
the U.S. to install the MX Trimension woven syn-
thetic turf, which is hailed by athletes and field
managers as one of the highest-performing syn-
thetic turfs available.
Games will be able to be played on the West Fields
in almost any kind of weather. The GreenFields turf
has perforations in the backing that allow water to
quickly exit the field – up to 20 inches of water per
hour. Within minutes of even a torrential down-
pour, play will resume on these fields.
These fields also have extensive drainage systems,
precise field slope and porous detention ponds.
They were designed to accommodate existing soils
conditions, field orientation, weather conditions
and regional athletic association requirements.
Soccer Fields Striped for New Guidelines
In 2016 U.S. Soccer standardized smaller-sided
games for all age groups under 12. The number of
players per team is determined by age groups and
the fewer the players, the smaller the field sizes (see
middle photo).
The West Fields are striped for these smaller-sid-
ed games, which will encourage skill development
aligned with the stages of physical development in
children. Younger soccer players will benefit from
smaller fields, where they will spend less time run-
ning and more time trying to execute plays. The
tighter space also encourage better ball control and
technical finesse, and give each player a greater
chance to have a meaningful role in the game.
LED Self-Lowering Lights Reduce Energy
The West Fields include Carolina High Mast
self-lowering LED lights. These instant-on lights will
reduce energy consumption (there is no warm-up
time needed). They have a longer lifespan than tradi-
tional HID lights, and require minimal maintenance.
The lights will increase light cutoff, limit light spill
and reduce glare. The dimmable lights will perform
at full power for game play, lower output for practice,
and the lowest output for safety lighting.