Sixth Man Center

Launched in 2015, Philadelphia Youth Basketball (PYB) is a sports-based, youth development oriented non-profit organization. PYB is dedicated to providing basketball coaching, mentoring, counseling and high-caliber opportunities to youths aged 6 to 18, especially those from under-resourced communities.

PYB’s new, 90,000 SF “Sixth Man” Center was funded by a generous gift from basketball superfan Alan Horwitz. Designed by Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA), the Center boasts seven basketball courts, including one intended for early skills development, within the footprint of a converted warehouse facility. The flexible court design can be configured for stadium seating for 1200 people, or scaled back for smaller tournaments. Additional programming includes several classrooms, a media lab, a cafeteria, fitness room, small meeting rooms, and a civic engagement space for large groups.

Acentech’s acousticians collaborated closely with VMA and PYB stakeholders, to ensure that the large-volume spaces are not excessively reverberant or noisy. We provided sound isolation design guidance to allow simultaneous use of spaces throughout the Center, with particular attention to highly noise-sensitive spaces like the classrooms and meeting rooms. We designed room acoustics specific to individual spaces, with recommendations for wall and ceiling finishes to promote speech intelligibility and promote occupant comfort. And our expertise ensured that the MEP systems, including rooftop units (RTUs), operate with minimum vibration and appropriate sound levels.

Acentech is proud to have contributed our expertise to this generous youth center, one that is dedicated to community enrichment and the mentoring of Philadelphia’s future athletes and leaders.