The first phase ; an outdoor floodlit astro pitch and three hard courts for tennis and netball was completed in spring 2015 . The second phase was the indoor sports facility ; a large project which consisted of a five court multi sport facility complete with spectator gallery , 25m swimming pool , four shower and changing facilities , a reception area and a large storage space .
The school , led by Bursar Andrew Brown , entered into discussions with Collinson plc , a national sports facility specialist .
Andrew said ‘ We were familiar with the tensile building construction method and knew it offered excellent value for money . We also placed great value on Collinson ’ s experience in this sector , they guided us through the many decisions necessary and we were able to trust their advice in unfamiliar territory , such as acoustics and air handling throughout the building , their experience has been pivotal to the build ’ s success ’. He continued ‘ the natural light provides a superb environment for sport and during daylight hours no artificial lighting is required , which was attractive when looking at the running costs of the facility .’
The sports hall was designed and built using the Challenger™ Tensile Structure and comprises a five badminton court sized hall which links to a fully insulated Evolution™ structure providing an additional 775m 2 of space to house the pool and ancillary accommodation .
Not only have the new facilities opened more options for indoor sporting activities at the school but they are also being enjoyed by the wider community . to date , Eversley Tennis Club , local cricket clubs , Finch and Berkshire netball are improving their skills at these outstanding amenities .
The five badminton court facility meets Sport England Specification and also incorporates a full size tennis court , five mini tennis courts , netball , basketball and four indoor cricket nets . The design of the courts provides the flexibility to be divided into a three / two court orientation , allowing separate sports to take place in their own areas at the same time . A viewing gallery offers spectators a bird ’ s eye view of the action !
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It is amazing to have the new facilities open and it is wonderful to see the children so excited to be using them . They provide a superb setting for us to expand our sports offering and really take sport at St Neot ’ s to the next level .
Jonathan Smith Director of Sport
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Externally , cedar cladding has been incorporated into the design . The school sits in a woodland setting and it was decided to carry the theme through to the structure , and from an architectural perspective it has been observed how well such a large structure sits in the environment .
The initial swimming lessons have been a great success , with the children thoroughly enjoying being in the pool and looking forward to their next lesson . The sports hall is being put to use for a wide variety of sports , including tennis , cricket , netball , basketball , badminton , boccia and floorball , with the children enjoying such a large , indoor space to show off their skills .
T : 01995 606 451 collinson . co . uk
Construction _ StNeots _ CS _ Rev00