INSIDE THE PODS
The Pods opened in July 2011 after an 18-month build. Facilities include:
n Open reception area n Six-court sports hall n Split-level gym n Two fitness studios and a health suite
What were some of the challenges of the project? By its very nature, a sports hall is like a shoebox – so one chal- lenge was to make the spaces work. In spite of its unusual shape, every inch of the building has been utilised. It’s been designed so that wherever you are in the building you can see the timber roof. We wanted to keep it as open and as visual as possible. Yet at the same time the curved shapes and exposed timbers make it feel very womb-like and comforting. We also had to address the issue of noise in such an open space, so we worked with the construction team to design timber-slatted cassettes that fit the roof panels and improve the acoustics.
What aspects of the design most please you? We had the issue of finding a suitable roof covering for the domes. Ourselves and specialist roof contractors developed a single-ply membrane solution that fitted over the whole of the roof structure, creating a waterproof layer. So develop- ing a weldable batten allowed us to fit a number of different rainscreen roof coverings without having to penetrate the wa- terproof membrane.
The dome finishes are very varied – one is covered in green sedum, one is metal clad, two have timber shingles, the sports hall has a plastic roof and the entrance dome is glazed. So each dome has a different exterior expression. It also serves to bring the building down to a more organic human scale. Standing outside, it’s impossible to tell its size. It looks much smaller than it should, given what it contains.
Have there been any surprises along the way? All the structures have come together to create wonderful interi- or spaces, some of which we did not even anticipate would exist
Issue 4 2012 © cybertrek 2012
n 25m competition pool and a learner’s pool
n Café with outdoor terrace n Creche
– there’s a serendipitous element to all of it. The organic forms of the building create their own fun.
What are the project’s eco-credentials? We have natural ventilation throughout the building where possible, and insulation is twice that required by building regulations. We’ve also installed a biomass boiler that uses wood chips to heat the leisure centre, and the building’s design also allows for grey water recycling so that the water from the show- ers can be used on the sedum roof as well as on the building’s surrounding vegetation.
How did you approach the outdoor design? The rejuvenation of the surrounding Central Park was led by Grant Associates from Bath.
Nature is a central part of the design and very much in keep- ing with the concept of wellness. The domes sit in a lagoon, and an outdoor wildlife corridor has been created with trees, wild flowers and bird boxes, which will hopefully attract different species to the area and be a place the whole community can en- joy and learn from.
Where do you find your inspiration ? I keep up with all the exciting developments around the world, and love that we can create fantasy worlds that surprise and de- light. It’s very different to creating civic buildings – with leisure design you think out of the box. l
This feature was recently published in Sport Management’s sister magazine – Leisure Management
Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital 47
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