Outdoor Court Basketball and Soccer

For my architectural design project, I created a small, multifunctional outdoor court that seamlessly integrates elements of basketball and futsal, optimizing limited space through an innovative and efficient layout. The focus of this project was to design a versatile recreational area that could accommodate two popular sports within a constrained footprint, making it ideal for urban settings or small community spaces. The main goals were to prioritize functionality, creativity, and accessibility while maintaining the integrity of both sports. Inspired by the growing need for compact and multipurpose recreational spaces, I drew from standard court dimensions and incorporated overlapping designs to ensure the court meets the needs of players while maximizing space efficiency.

Materials:, Painters tape, acrylic paint, hot glue sticks, super glue, PLA

Tools: Fusion 360, FDM 3D Printer, Laser Cutter, Hot Glue Gun

The project began by defining the boundaries of the available surface for the scale model, which measured 30x30 cm. Given the need to maximize the use of space, every detail of the court's layout and measurements was carefully planned within this area.

The basketball court was created first by referencing the official dimensions of a full-size basketball court and adapting them to fit a half-court within the designated space. The layout was then sketched, ensuring that the dimensions aligned with the space constraints. Once the sketch was complete, the surface and lines were extruded separately, simplifying the process for laser cutting.

Next, the basketball net, including the post and the ring, was designed in a separate sketch to allow for individual printing and assembly. The same method was applied to the futsal court: official measurements were consulted, the layout was sketched, and the surface and lines were extruded separately.

Making the net: Once I had the basketball post ready, the next step was to design the net. I started by creating a sketch from the post frame, leaving a distance of about 3 cm, which I set as the radius of the hoop. After that, I used the Revolve tool to form the hoop.

To create the net, I placed a Midplane on the hoop and generated a Coil on one end of the hoop. Then, I used the Mirror tool to duplicate it on the other side. Finally, I adjusted the details for the coil's length and thickness and applied a circular pattern along the hoop, completing the net's design.

To prepare the designs for 3D printing, the sketches were processed using the Bambu software, ensuring compatibility with the printer. For the physical model, a wooden board was prepped by applying tape, which served as a guide for laser cutting the soccer and basketball courts. Once the lines were cut, they were painted, and the tape was removed to reveal clean markings.

Finally, the 3D-printed components were assembled using a combination of super glue and hot glue, attaching the parts securely to the respective areas on the court models. This process brought together the basketball and futsal elements in a cohesive and functional design, demonstrating the project's innovative approach to compact recreational spaces.

One of the most significant challenges of this project was designing and creating the nets, particularly the basketball and soccer nets. Unlike walls or posts, nets are not rigid structures—they have holes and require intricate detailing, which makes them much harder to model and fabricate. While we eventually managed to complete the basketball net through a lot of trial and error, the soccer net proved to be too complex within the constraints of the project. This difficulty was a deciding factor in simplifying the original concept. Initially, I had planned to include three courts: basketball, soccer, and volleyball. However, creating a realistic volleyball net presented similar challenges, leading me to focus solely on basketball and soccer instead.

Looking back, one of the best decisions I made was seeking help and guidance from my teacher. Their expertise not only provided clarity on how to address certain design issues but also offered invaluable advice on the overall process. For instance, consulting them helped me refine my techniques for sketching and assembling parts, which saved time and improved the final product. My advice to anyone undertaking a similar project is to make use of all available resources, including instructors or mentors, as their input can simplify complex tasks and provide fresh perspectives.

Another tip is to be flexible with your design. While it can be disappointing to let go of an idea like the volleyball court, adapting your plans to focus on what’s achievable within your skill set and resources is key to maintaining the project's overall quality and purpose. Finally, patience and persistence are essential, particularly when working with intricate components like nets or other detailed elements.