University of Cambridge | Arup Associates

The competition to design the building was originally won by the practice in 1999, but it was not until 2011 that funding became available for Phase One of the facility. Phase One provides an eight court sports hall, fitness and weights training facilities and multipurpose spaces with shell-and-core spaces also provided for squash and fives courts. Future phases will include indoor and outdoor tennis courts and a swimming pool on adjacent plots. University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz said “This is a key project for the University. Through its impact on the individual, sport in turn helps the University achieve its mission of pursuing education, learning and research at the highest levels of international excellence: exercise promotes health, well- being, leadership and teamwork and complements the rigorous academic work in our classrooms, laboratories and libraries. …This state-of-the-art design marks the start of a new era for Cambridge sport.” The building is located within the West Cambridge Site masterplan adjacent to an expanding portfolio of academic departments and student residences. At the edge of the city, the building’s form responds to the rural surroundings, and creates a landmark destination for students, university staff, and the public. Arup Associates’ multidisciplinary team comprising architects, structural, mechanical, electrical, public health and sustainability engineers have developed a design that integrates naturally-ventilated and day- lit environments for sports, tailored to respond to the various internal functions of the Centre. The project has achieved BREEAM “Excellent” accrediation. A primary element in the design is the domed roof of the building, spanning the volumes required for the range of sporting activities, and punctuated by a rhythm of ‘gills’ through which north light and fresh air filter into the main Sports Hall. This device passively maintains comfort parameters to Sport England standards throughout the year. In addition to electro-mechanically controlled glazed louvres, the gills support over 200 Photovoltaic Cells which constitute the building’s renewable energy source. The benefits of the natural ventilation and day lighting strategy also considerably offset the building’s energy consumption. The complex roof geometry is the result of close collaboration between the project’s architectural and structural teams, reducing the height and mass to achieve the optimum balance between height requirements for different sports, the planning considerations on the edge of Green Belt, and structural efficiency. The roof is clad in a folded zinc system. Tony Lemons, Director of Physical Education at the University of Cambridge said, “I am delighted with the building, and is particularly pleased with Arup Associates’ interpretation of the design specifications, and with the ambiance of the Centre, which will make a major contribution to the sport and exercise opportunities available to the students at the University.” SDC Builders Ltd was the Main Contractor working under an NEC Design and Construct contract. They were successful in delivering the project within the programme and budget. Sweett Group were Project Managers and BREEAM assessor and Davis Langdon AECOM acted as Cost Consultants. Gardiner and Theobald acted as CDM coordinator.