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“The Sports Hall requires a high level of air change for the comfort of people getting hot in their activities”
structed and watertight amid groundwater is always a chal- lenge. And before all that, there was a Thames Water sewer to divert.” The centre required quite a complicated services installa-
tion, to feed a variety of facilities. The sports hall requires a high level of air change for the comfort of the people getting hot in their activities. Then there is the swimming pool where temperatures need to be fairly high for the comfort of swim- mers and spectators. Seven Finnish-manufactured glulam (glue-laminated
timber) beams span the pool and the seating gallery, each 35 m long and weighing 4.5 tonnes. GB had to pay meticulous atten- tion to timed deliveries not only to get those on site but also to bring in twin cranes to lift them into position. There was no alternative to bringing the site traffic through two residential roads. Introductory newsletters were sent to neighbours before the
construction project began, and further updates were issued. The team opted for the silent vibration method of sheet- pinning to limit noise. The steel-framed building has a number of sustainability
features. It uses ‘grey’ (recycled) water for the washrooms, has solar panels and a CHP (combined heat and power) plant. “One of the strengths we were able to bring to the project
was that our project manager, Steve Watson, has undertaken a number of leisure schemes,” says Martin. “We think it’s impor- tant to be able to bring a track record to leisure – particularly pools, because a lot of people are a little bit concerned about the complexity of delivering a pool complex.” “There was a very successful opening in July, and we worked
with the client to get the centre open. I won’t say there weren’t conversations and issues along the way, but we’re still talking and we’re moving forward at a good rate in terms of closing the project out. I think sensible attitudes have been adopted by both parties.” Construction works began in East Avenue, Hayes, in May
2008 and took two years in total. “At the end of any project we keep an individual there for a
few weeks afterwards to deal with any problems. For me, that’s a very important part of contracting. Too many contractors have the attitude ‘I’ve got a completion certificate, I’m gone’ – and then you leave the wrong impression with the client. You need to deal with closing out any issues that arise, and help them to get the place open to be a successful building. Certainly we’re very proud of Botwell Green. We think it’s a fantastic facility and a real credit to Hillingdon.”
Architect – Burke Rickhards Principal contractor – GB Building Solutions Ltd Project manager – Atkins Faithful & Gould M&E services engineer – Ferguson Brown Ltd Structural engineer – Melliss LLP
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