Technically challenging project to create a world-class, £8 million sports facility with swimming pool.

Opened by Kate Hoey, MP and former minister for sport, this world-class sports facility includes a 25 metre 8-lane swimming pool, fitness suite, judo hall, indoor rowing suite, a climbing zone, squash courts, changing rooms and viewing galleries.  In addition to a hospitality suite and classroom, the centre features disabled access throughout.  

The challenging, innovative design required Beard to use the latest building technology to construct a 'wave form' roof.  This required complex scaffolding to work with the long span Glulam beams and a “can do” approach by the team to affix the beams into position, winning the praise of the architects. Other design elements included the Taraflex sports flooring, as used in the Beijing Olympics, and extensive areas of steel and glass.

The roof’s visually pleasing wooden appearance, utilising red cedar cladding to soften the impact of the building, helped blend this modern building into the sensitive conservation area.  The use of handmade bricks to construct parts of the pool hall helped compliment neighbouring listed buildings.

Challenges & Solutions

6 glulam beams – each spanning over  21 metres and weighing 2.2 tonnes.

Extensive areas of glazing.

Innovative use of brick, steel, glass and timber cladding within a conservation environment.

Working in a live school environment and managing traffic around the school.

"The sports complex at Abingdon School demonstrates Beard’s ability to deliver large scale, innovative and technically challenging projects. The innovative use of multiple complementary finishes, including brick, steel, glass and timber cladding, all within a conservation environment, inevitably throw up challenges, but the results speak for themselves.”
Jonathan Webster, Bursar, Abingdon School