Cooking Up Fieldside Flavor
Brentwood Union Free School District
Construction of athletic fields hub for culinary center and concessions
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Tetra Tech played a central role in reimagining the Brentwood Union Free School District’s athletic-field upgrade as a broader campus enhancement that serves students and the community. Originally conceived as a project that would convert a natural-grass-to-synthetic-turf field, the project evolved into a comprehensive strategy: constructing two upgraded turf fields with a purpose-built field house positioned between them. The field house is designed first and foremost as a teaching-focused culinary center that doubles as a concessions facility and event space for the community. This integrated approach expands hands-on career and technical education opportunities, elevates food, beverage, and spectator experiences during events, and enables access to alternative funding sources that a standard concessions building would not have qualified for. Overall, it delivers a greater educational, social, and financial value to the district.
The development and integration of the culinary center as a teaching space was a critical aspect of the project. Establishing an on‑site teaching kitchen required adequately documenting the academic program including curriculum goals, student station counts, classroom layout, and demonstration of space function during the school day. Brentwood students were accessing a culinary program on the nearby BOCES campus, so the District needed to assemble the required documentation to shift to a program on their campus. Tetra Tech worked with district leaders and the business official to develop the program needs into a clear architectural brief. By defining the building as a teaching environment that could operate as a concessions facility, the district became eligible for state building aid. In addition to students gaining technical and career experience through the culinary center, they will also staff concessions during weekend events. Ultimately the facility will provide back of the house and front of the house learning opportunities while offsetting operating costs.
The new culinary center is designed to reflect Brentwood’s original 1800s schoolhouse, which was moved and restored near the district office and is now listed on the National Register. Its octagonal form serves as a welcoming design element. That shape is carried through the roofline, entry plaza, and planter benches, creating a friendly arrival court. A wide gate will help guide visitors to the entrance while reinforcing the historic connection.
Located between two athletic fields, the culinary center and its plaza will serve as a community hub. During the day, it will function as a classroom and teaching kitchen for students. During events, it can easily transition into a gathering space and concession area, bringing athletics, learning, and district history together on one site.
By aligning program, funding, and design, Tetra Tech is helping Brentwood convert an athletic upgrade into a durable campus hub that advances student learning, builds community connections, and improves the overall event-day experience.