Let's start with the basic facts and figures. Construction began in April 2006 and was completed in October 2007. Floren was made possible by donations from Olivia and Douglas C. Floren '63 and boasts 41,300 square feet of space. The structure was designed by Centerbrook Architects and Planners, and cost over $19 million. Floren was built at the same time as Alumni Gym underwent renovations.
Floren is divided into three floors. The first floor houses an impressive 130-seat classroom and the football locker room. The spacious classroom is equipped with smart technology and is a resource for teams to review tapes and discuss strategy.
"The classroom is a valuable space for us for many different reasons," said Richard Whitmore, the facilities director. "It works well for football, lacrosse, hockey and all the larger sports. Before Floren was built, there were not many places where all of the larger teams could sit down together and meet. The room is very versatile too Dartmouth Peak Performance and our staff use this space as well."
On the second floor, student athletes are greeted by a spectacular view of Red Rolfe Field at Biondi Park and the back of Alumni Gym. It is home to a 10,000-square-foot strength and training center, filled with weight training and cardio equipment.
"The facilities are incredible," heavyweight rower Artie Santry '16 said. "They sometimes can get crowded when there are three or more teams trying to lift. The staff is great too. The lift coaches do a good job of motivating you during a workout."
The strength and training room is the complex's busiest room, Whitmore said.
"We can accommodate our 34 varsity teams and 900 athletes," he said. "All our athletes do strength and training and this space can accommodate everyone and everyone's training program. It's busy from 5:30 in the morning until late into the evening."
While this reporter toured Floren, the varsity basketball and varsity swimming and diving teams were training.
"Teams use this space year-round for the training program," Whitmore said. "Varsity athletics at Dartmouth are a year-round program. They don't stop when our seasons stop. Our staff also does a great job encouraging them to keep training throughout the year."
There is even a refrigerator stocked with free chocolate milk and Muscle Milk for athletes as part of the Dartmouth Peak Performance Program.
The third floor opens up to a long hallway, which has offices for varsity teams and other meeting spaces for coaches and athletes. It has the 720-square-foot Seaver Peters study lounge and the academic counselor's office for student athletes. These facilities echoes the mission of the Dartmouth Peak Performance program to help student-athletes achieve the highest levels of physical, intellectual and personal growth.
"It is great that the study spaces were included too," Whitmore said, "The inclusion of the spaces in our varsity facility truly shows Dartmouth's commitment to academics and athletics together. Floren does a lot with Dartmouth Peak Performance."
The baseball, softball, and women's lacrosse coaches have offices on the third floor, and there is another 1,429 square-foot meeting room with smart technology.
The third floor is also home to the football suite, which contains coaches' offices and various meeting rooms, including the Mercer Conference Room and a video room. The suite contains the Crouthamel Lounge, donated by Polly and Murry Bowden '71. The lounge overlooks the 50-yard line of Memorial Field and is a fantastic location to watch the game, and is decorated with murals of historic pictures of the team throughout the years. There is also a kiosk that stores all team pictures.
"Floren is great for our team because it has everything in one place," football player William McNamara '16 said. "Floren makes the challenge of being a student athlete easier because it reduces the time spent travelling to multiple facilities."
Floren has made a huge impact for Dartmouth's 34 varsity sports teams. Its construction has proved valuable for training and the Big Green's performance.
"Dartmouth is an incredibly active school, and our athletic facilities are trying to serve two different populations," Whitmore said. "We have the great Alumni Gym for all students and Floren, both of which are great resources and help our student-athletes perform at their absolute best."
