A High-Performance Home for Division I Athletes
The Lee and Penny Anderson Arena at the University of St. Thomas is a dynamic, multi-purpose facility designed to support the university’s transition to Division I athletics. Serving as home to the Tommies hockey and basketball programs, the arena brings together competition venues, training spaces, and practice facilities within a single, thoughtfully integrated footprint. Its multi-purpose design allows the space to flex beyond athletics, accommodating concerts, graduations, and other large-scale campus and community events.
Wells contributed a comprehensive range of building systems that supported both the structure and functionality of the facility. The project was executed in two primary scopes: the stadia systems within the main arena and practice spaces, and the wall and floor systems surrounding the basketball and practice rink areas. Architectural and structural wall panels helped define the exterior and interior environments, while double tee systems were utilized for the elevated basketball court — an efficient solution that enabled a multi-level design on a constrained site. This approach allowed one court to remain on grade while another was constructed above, maximizing space without compromising performance.
