Stephen C. O’Connell Center
Steeped in Birdair heritage, this iconic building features a PTFE fabric roof covering its swimming pool and athletic facilities.
Fabric Type: PTFE Fiberglass
Market Sector: Stadiums / Arenas
Project Size: 30,000 sq.ft.
Architect: Barger + Dean Architects
Engineer: TLC Engineering
Owner: University of Florida
General Contractor: Southeast Enterprise Group, Inc.
Completion Date: May 9, 2000
Also known as the O’Dome and home to the popular Florida Gators, this iconic building carries a rich Birdair legacy. The main arena, spanning 150,000 sq. ft., originally featured an air-inflated PTFE roof constructed by Birdair in 1980 along with nearly 30,000 sq.ft. of a fixed single layer tensile roof around the perimeter and has since gone through several transformations over the years.
In 2000, Birdair upgraded the fixed PTFE tensile membrane roof portion that covers the swimming pool and other athletic facilities. TLC Engineering discovered that capturing the diffused natural light from this PTFE fabric system yields greater energy savings than simply insulating the roof.
