DLR Group | Photos: Alistair Tutton
The University of Houston welcomed its Cougars NCAA Division I football players home with a new 120,000-sq-ft Football Operations Center in fall 2025. Featuring the Big 12 team’s black and red color palette and a lighting strategy by DLR Group, the locker rooms establish a high-energy, dark, and rugged environment fit for wildcats ready to defend their territory. Red “surge” lighting throughout the project functions as an architectural and wayfinding tool that reinforces school spirit and connects the athletes to their broader campus community.
Encapsulated IP67-rated luminaires by QTL are implemented in the plunge pool area and other wet environments.
Bold red toe-kick lighting and accent portals add depth to locker zones.
Red “portals” transform a corridor into a “hype tunnel” to amplify players’ adrenaline before they step onto the gridiron.
Field-mitered channels house dual rows of red LEDs to create the “surge” lighting motif.