SB 4156 32pp WEB

Adept serves up an ace engineering solution for new sports hall
Work is underway on a brand new, innovative sports hall at Bradford Grammar School that has been specifically
designed to be aesthetically appealing externally and will be clad in modern timber and steel, as part of a £4million
investment in the school’s sports provision.
Leeds-based Adept Civil and Structural Consulting Engineers is providing
engineering services on the eight metre high building, which will be big
enough to accommodate five tennis courts or four netball courts and will
provide year-round, all-weather use throughout the day and into the evening.
SDA Architects has provided architectural services and the building is being
built by Bradford-based Bermar Building.
The programme of works will also see eight outdoor cricket lanes installed with
various artificial surfaces to fine tune both bowling and batting techniques, one
and a half new hockey Astroturf pitches created, and two new outdoor netball or
tennis courts. In addition, the school’s existing sports hall will be reconfigured
and its changing facilities will be upgraded.
Matthew Ramsden, a director at Adept, said: “A key feature of Bradford Grammar School’s new sports hall was that it had to be distinct and
striking yet also functional. This meant that simply building a large warehouse wasn’t an option. The result is a large structure, with the
economics and scale of a warehouse, but with the aesthetics of a modern, contemporary and inviting building.
“There’s no doubt this building has the potential to be one of the best facilities of its kind and will elevate Bradford Grammar to the top of
the league in terms of its sports provision in the region.”
Dr Simon Hinchliffe, Headmaster at Bradford Grammar School, said: “This is an exciting time in the history of our school. Sport is central to
the offering at Bradford Grammar School and our new redevelopment will provide the perfect environment for our enhanced sports
curriculum, which caters for all our young people.
“We’ve been successful in recruiting a number of staff to our enlarged sports department with specialist expertise in their fields to help
deliver the school’s sporting vision. This investment will cement Bradford Grammar School’s reputation as the Sunday Times Leading
Northern Independent School of the Year 2018.”
www.adeptcsce.com
£2.5 Million expansion tranforms bedfordshire school
Six new classrooms and a 690 m2 sports hall at Henlow Church of England Academy, Bedfordshire have now completed,
completely reimagining the 600 pupil school’s teaching facilities and sports opportunities.
PCMS Design designed the modern, new extension to the original school site,
with Building Services Design (BSD) providing mechanical and electrical (M&E)
engineering support for the project.
“The six classrooms and sports hall are a standalone block,” explained Adam Middleton,
senior electrical engineer at the national M&E practice, BSD. Adam continued: “The new
sports hall comprises four new Sport England compliant courts, which are to be used for
both the school’s own netball, basketball and hockey teams as well as for community
hire; making it an incredibly inclusive space – and one which will support not just the
school but the wider Henlow population.
“There are also attached changing rooms as well as a 88 m2 storage facility.” BSD
provided technical support to PCMS Design to ensure that the delivery of the M&E
engineering services for electricity, gas, water and the fire alarm system ran smoothly
and to specification. “There were a couple of challenges on this project; time constraints
meant that the scheme had to be completed for the beginning of term but, through
working closely with the delivery team, we managed to complete the project on time
and on budget.
“The new building is a standalone building, separate to the main school. Services had to
be provided to the new site and connected to existing services without impacting on the
school’s day to day operations,” added Adam. The sports hall has a standing seam zinc
roof, which is curved to the hall and pitched to the storage room, as well as architectural
louvres which allows for air flow through the area.
Alex Bond, PCMS design director and project manager said: “PCMS Design engaged BSD
to advise on the performance specification for the mechanical and electrical installation on a large educational sports hall and classroom block
project at Henlow Church of England Academy.
The project was funded by Central Bedfordshire Council and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
www.bsd.co.uk
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