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| Frequently Asked Questions |
6. So you use no pre-fab parts?
-- That's correct--they're all hand-cut.
7. Do you design your parks to be hitter or pitcher friendly?
-- I try to strike a balance for the most part. Some of my designs have wide open outfields, but short corners. Pacific Field, for example, has a 293 ft. left field
foul line, but it angles out quite quickly to 370, and is 380 in the true power alley. I must admit that I'm no fan of bandboxes, and tend to create dimensions
favorable to the pitcher. For my Dodger Stadium concept, I restored the stadium's 1962-68 dimensions--385 to the alleys and 410 to center.
8. Is there more than one copy of each model?
-- No. Each project is one-of-a-kind.
9. What training and background do you have?
-- I've had no formal training in architecture or engineering, but I've been studying stadia and drawing my own designs for 24 years.
10. Are you happy with the recent crop of stadiums being built in the U.S.?
-- I can't say I'm completely enthralled. When Camden Yards was opened in 1992, it seemed like all of the major league owners said, "Wow! I want one of
those!", and so we got an entire generation of ballparks that mimicked it--red bricks, clover-green seats, arches and asymmetry--too much repetition in
design. A few other trends I don't care for are squeezing in multiple decks of suites in between the upper and lower levels; the lack of cantilevering; the
repetition in deck and bowl design; and of course the prevalence of the bandbox ballpark dimensions. I am much more impressed with some of the stadia
being built in Europe and Asia--they seem more willing to take chances in using fresh, and often daring, designs.
-- That's correct--they're all hand-cut.
7. Do you design your parks to be hitter or pitcher friendly?
-- I try to strike a balance for the most part. Some of my designs have wide open outfields, but short corners. Pacific Field, for example, has a 293 ft. left field
foul line, but it angles out quite quickly to 370, and is 380 in the true power alley. I must admit that I'm no fan of bandboxes, and tend to create dimensions
favorable to the pitcher. For my Dodger Stadium concept, I restored the stadium's 1962-68 dimensions--385 to the alleys and 410 to center.
8. Is there more than one copy of each model?
-- No. Each project is one-of-a-kind.
9. What training and background do you have?
-- I've had no formal training in architecture or engineering, but I've been studying stadia and drawing my own designs for 24 years.
10. Are you happy with the recent crop of stadiums being built in the U.S.?
-- I can't say I'm completely enthralled. When Camden Yards was opened in 1992, it seemed like all of the major league owners said, "Wow! I want one of
those!", and so we got an entire generation of ballparks that mimicked it--red bricks, clover-green seats, arches and asymmetry--too much repetition in
design. A few other trends I don't care for are squeezing in multiple decks of suites in between the upper and lower levels; the lack of cantilevering; the
repetition in deck and bowl design; and of course the prevalence of the bandbox ballpark dimensions. I am much more impressed with some of the stadia
being built in Europe and Asia--they seem more willing to take chances in using fresh, and often daring, designs.
