Waipahu High School has picked WhiteSpace Architects to design its new girls locker room in response to Title IX gender equity requirements.
Currently, both the girls and boys athletic teams share facilities on campus, although they have separate physical education facilities.
The new locker room will include dedicated space and showers for female athletes, along with a treatment room, laundry facilities, team meeting room, restroom and storage space.
A gender-neutral locker will also be available for a single athlete, with private shower and bathroom accommodations.
“After
so many years of sharing facilities, it would be great for our female
student-athletes to have a place of their own,” Waipahu High School principal Meryl
Matsumura said in a release. “I’m excited for the day when our young women will walk into
the dedicated new facility and know that this belongs to them – and the
students who will follow in their footsteps.”
“This
facility will also greatly improve what our athletic trainers can
provide to the female student-athletes because of its proximity to the
fields of play,” added Waipahu athletic director Stacie Nii. “We will provide
treatment more efficiently to a greater number of students, but also
will be able to offer a greater variety of athletic assistance because
of future opportunities with the space.”
The new facility will be immediately adjacent to Waipahu High’s existing athletic field, allowing students and trainers easy access to all facilities for convenience and increased health and safety.
The new 3,800 square-foot facility — sandwiched between two other buildings — will coordinate
artistically, with the design heavily incorporating Waipahu High school colors, blue and gold.
Sustainability
will also be a focus, with the new facility designed to be energy-
and water-efficient, adaptable and easy to maintain, with over $4 million in required infrastructure upgrades, including widening of a fire lane and
upgrading of the fire alarm system, along with electrical, gas and telecommunication
connections from Waipahu High’s upper campus.
Groundbreaking is expected to take place in late 2022, with construction estimated to take approximately 16 months. School officials hope the
new facility will be open for the 2024-2025 academic year.
