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PROJECT REPORT: SPORTS & LEISURE FACILITIES
levels – include triple glazing, optimised thermal zoning and glazing ratios, heat recovery and low energy systems, and the pool microfi ltration system. None of it would have been possible, says Gowdridge, without the support of Gale & Snowden. “We actively sought their expertise to support, train and provide an important soundboard for our own design and technical specialists,” he explains. “Communication between design and build team was integral to making sure Passivhaus design choices – sometimes measured in millimetres – were effectively translated to site.” He also credits Willmott Dixon’s delivery of the high performance envelope and Engenuiti’s CLT design as critical factors.
Underpinning everything was the successful collaboration. The early stages had to be managed through Covid, with the design team having to navigate new ways of communicating with the council and stakeholders. There were also other challenges including rising energy costs, increased supply chain costs and the council’s net zero commitment; these “all required a high degree of fl exibility, partnership and collaboration, ensuring evolving design concepts remained true to brief,” Gowdridge says.
The centre opened in October 2024 and has been positively received by both council and users, including for its reduced running costs, improved comfort and accessibility. While it awaits full certifi cation from the Passivhaus Institute, it has achieved airtightness scores of <0.4 (permeability) and 0.12 (air change rate) – a 90% improvement over standard regulatory requirements. It is expected to save 50-60% in typical energy usage and more than 40% in comparable water usage – supported through the use of greywater harvesting and low-water-usage toilets, sinks and showers – and has achieved a 30% reduction in total embodied carbon.
The project has also been shortlisted for several design, build and public sector awards, and won an iESE Public Sector Transformation Award in March 2025. “The scheme has people architecture and collaboration at its heart,” says Gowdridge, who believes it “sets a new benchmark” for the sport and leisure sector: “As a large- scale Passivhaus leisure centre in the UK, combining low carbon, operational savings, inclusivity and design quality, it is a model for future projects.”
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK ADF SEPTEMBER 2025
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