In April 2024, Homefield KC, a premier outdoor sports complex in Kansas City, opened its doors as a state-of-the-art facility designed with a unique goal of elevating the youth sports experience. For this noteworthy project, Turner Construction tapped Sightline Commercial Solutions, a leading fabricator and global supplier of architectural railing, to create a dynamic space that seamlessly integrates functionality, aesthetics and community engagement.
Sightline’s contributions to the project exemplify the expertise and innovation required to meet the demands of a modern sports facility that prioritizes both functionality and style.
Blending Community and Competition
Homefield KC was conceived as more than just a sports complex. Intentionally designed for versatility, it serves as a gathering place for athletes, their families and spectators alike, offering a variety of amenities for all groups. The facility features athlete-focused areas for weightlifting and stretching, as well as high-end food and beverage options, and an elevated balcony with premium spectator seating overlooking the courts.
Sightline Commercial Solutions played a critical role in bringing these elements to life, ensuring the design met the client’s vision for a cohesive, multi-functional space. Chosen for its reputation for high-quality, in-house custom design capabilities and its strong relationships with Turner Construction and local architects, Sightline collaborated closely with project stakeholders to deliver architectural solutions that balanced practicality and visual appeal. From the initial design phase to fabrication and installation, every detail was carefully considered to align with the project’s goals.
Elevating the Spectator Facility Experience
Despite the venue’s massive courts, which allow for 12 simultaneous volleyball games or 10 side-by-side basketball games, Homefield KC also emphasizes spectator comfort and engagement. The Sightline team designed and engineered custom VIP seating areas that elevate the viewing experience with premium features such as padded swivel chairs paired with half-round tables, custom drink railing, custom-fabricated quartz countertops and sleek, yet sturdy, barstools, enhancing the facility’s aesthetic appeal. High-definition cameras are also suspended from the ceiling, allowing live-streams of games so families can watch from afar.
The client’s vision for Homefield KC centered on creating an inclusive and versatile facility that caters to both athletes and spectators. Key custom-fabricated elements include post-rails with glass infill designed to optimize sightlines and maintain a sleek, modern aesthetic. These rails, mounted to the front of the concrete pour, provide a continuous and visually seamless line that adheres to the architect’s design intent.
In total, Sightline’s scope of work at Homefield KC encompassed nearly 2,000 linear feet of custom-engineered railing systems, including picket rail, drink rail, aisle rail, separation rail and cane detection rail. Each railing style is finished in sleek, black anodized aluminum, giving the facility a contemporary and uniform aesthetic.
Advanced technologies like 3D scanning and tube laser cutting were utilized to ensure precision and efficiency throughout the fabrication process. For example, the extensive picket railings required meticulous alignment and straightness over long runs, which were achieved through careful planning and innovative techniques.
Sightline also partnered closely with Cardinal Glass to incorporate glass infill panels across seating areas, ensuring both safety and clear visibility throughout the expansive courts. The railing system along the front of the spectator bowl is face-mounted onto aluminum frames, which required precise alignment with nine-sixteenths of an inch glass infill panels featuring a PVB interlayer. These efforts ensured the project was completed on time and on budget.
Overcoming Challenges with Precise Solutions
As with any project of this scale, challenges arose during the development of Homefield KC. One significant obstacle involved maintaining the straightness of the longer railing runs, which at times reached 300 feet. Welding and handling processes introduced variances in the supplied product, necessitating on-site field adjustments.
Thanks to the adaptability of the post-rail system and close collaboration with local installer Strother Fabrication, Sightline was able to amend the railing runs to be straight without compromising the client’s vision.
Another challenge involved aligning custom-fabricated glass corners on staircases. Due to height differences throughout the stairways, some glass rail initially appeared disconnected and non-cohesive. By leveraging its fabrication expertise and precise measurement tools, Sightline worked with Strother to match the angles of the glass pieces to create a seamless appearance without jeopardizing the structural integrity of the staircases.
A Collaborative Effort
From millworkers and electricians to concrete specialists and seating providers, every trade partner played a vital role in achieving a shared vision at Homefield KC. Combining functionality with elevated aesthetics, the result is a world-class training facility that sets a new standard for youth sports complexes.
In an article published by the Kansas City Star, Homefield President Dustin Lewis described the facility in two words: “It’s joy. It’s a beautiful facility. And it’s going to be packed with kids for years to come, doing something that’s really important to growth and development.”
Josh Lekson is a Project Manager at Sightline Commercial Solutions and served as Project Manager for the Homefield KC project. Based in Minneapolis, Sightline Commercial Solutions is a leading fabricator and global supplier of architectural railing, metal, glazing and portable platform solutions for the commercial, sports venue, live entertainment and performing arts industries. Since 1990, the company has specialized in providing innovative solutions for the most complex challenges. For more information visit https://www.sightlinecommercial.com.
