A revolutionary eco-friendly leisure centre, which is on track to be one of the first wet and dry Passivhaus certified leisure centres in the world, has been given the go ahead after designs submitted by sports and leisure experts GT3 Architects and Passivhaus designers Gale & Snowden were approved.
Located in Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, the ground-breaking leisure facility has been designed with sustainability and wellbeing at its core. As a result, GT3 and Gale & Snowden Architects are also working closely with national governing bodies, including Sport England, around the lessons learnt and the data coming out of this facility with a view to providing documentation around what is needed to create Passive and healthy buildings within the leisure industry.
The building also features a wide range of modern facilities, including rooftop 3G sports pitches, competitive, learner and splash swimming pools, mini spa, sports hall, gym and flexible studio space, soft play, Clip n Climb, café with poolside viewing, and more.
Mark Gowdridge, director at GT3 Architects, said: “We’re delighted that the plans have been given the green light and we’re able to start taking this fantastic project forwards. Sustainability defines the design on this project and a Passivhaus-certified design will result in energy and cost savings of up to 60%, which is a huge cost reduction over the building’s lifecycle.
“Another key focus was looking at the fundamental role sport and fitness plays in the health and wellbeing of the community. We therefore undertook extensive community engagement, utilising our Performance + process to develop a brief for the leisure centre, which is universally designed for all ages, needs and abilities and is highly flexible. We consulted the local community, sports clubs, and disability and community groups to ensure it was fit for purpose and found there was overwhelming support for a new community facility.
“We’re very much looking forward to bringing these designs to life and delivering a state-of-the-art, sustainable and modern facility for the local community to enjoy.”
Gale & Snowden Architects provided Passivhaus consultancy for the project.
David Gale, director at Gale & Snowden Architects, said: “It’s fantastic news to receive the go ahead for Spelthorne Leisure Centre. It’s an incredibly innovative project that has been optimised to reduce energy in use by up to 60%, compared to other new build leisure centres, helping to address the Spelthorne Council’s climate emergency agenda, and it will use up to 50% less water further reducing the buildings impact on the environment”
“The building has also been designed to be optimised for health with the use of natural materials and innovative technologies such as micro filtration providing drinking quality water for the swimming pools – to be developing such a ground-breaking leisure centre alongside GT3 is very exciting and we’re looking forward to seeing the project under construction later this year.”
Passivhaus methodology was established in the early 1990s and has since become the world-leading standard in energy efficient design and construction. Passivhaus buildings provide users with a high level of comfort, while also using very little energy by optimising the design of the building and all its systems.
Chair of Spelthorne Borough Council’s Community Wellbeing Committee, Cllr Sandra Dunn, said: “I am very excited that this important project has been given approval to proceed to the next stage.”
“Feedback from residents has heavily influenced the location, design and facilities and we have worked hard to ensure the new building meets the Gold standard for environmental credentials.”
“This is going to be a fantastic hub for all the community, offering a great range of sports facilities and activities for everyone to enjoy. I am sure it will make a huge difference in encouraging residents to maintain healthy lifestyles. I look forward to seeing the plans take shape.”
The project also features an expert design team, including Gleeds acting as project managers, Engenuiti, structural and civil engineers, Van Zyl & de Villiers, M&E consultant, and Faithful+Gould as cost manager and quantity surveyor.
