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Investment: Active campus
Drew Manns checks out new and upcoming university building projects that are bringing a fresh focus to student wellbeing
Development Warwick Wellness Hub
Investment £49m
One of the largest wellness and fitness facilities in the UK, the 1,550 sq m Warwick Wellness Hub, which opened recently, features a 230-station gym from Technogym and a 12-court sports hall. The building also has pools, indoor climbing walls, studio spaces and outdoor sports pitches.
The £49m project, the launch of which ties in with Coventry’s tenure as the 2019 European City of Sport, is part of the university’s push to become the “most physically active campus community in the UK by 2020”, according to Lisa Dodd-Mayne, director for sport and active community.
Nick Mennell from Willmott Dixon, which built the hub said: “Warwick’s gym is the biggest in the higher education sector. It enables people to be active in a way that works for them.
“Local communities can come together and share these spaces, getting active side-by-side and providing immense inspiration to one another,” he explained.
The sprawling facility opened on 15 April ahead of the Europe Corporate Games, which will take place in Coventry in August 2019.
Development Health and wellbeing gym
Investment £28m
Work is nearly complete on Solent University Southampton’s £28m (US$37m, €32.6m) new sports complex.
Part of the school’s ongoing £100m modernisation plan, the centre is situated on the northern end of the East Park Terrace (EPT) campus, and will feature a range of recreation facilities, including three fitness studios, a health and wellbeing gym, two sports halls, a strength and conditioning gym and teaching facilities.
The centre is expected to be in full operation by this October to coincide with the start of the 2019/20 academic year.
Development Sport and wellbeing complex
Investment £50m
Portsmouth University’s new £50m (US$ 66.2, €58.3) sports complex, which will be on-site this autumn, has been described as a new “benchmark” for the city.
The facility will feature a fitness centre with 175 exercise stations and multipurpose studios, as well as a 25m, eight-lane swimming pool and an eight-court sports hall.
The site will also boast a ski simulator and a climbing wall with bouldering.
The project is the first phase of the university’s £400m estate masterplan, designed to reshape the campus and strengthen connections with the city.
The proposed plans will promote health and wellbeing through the provision of a wide range of opportunities for activity and movement.
Additionally, the development will include the creation of an urban orchard and new pedestrian routes in the nearby Ravelin Park.
The building will feature photovoltaic panels and a green roof and is on target to be the first of its type in the UK to be rated outstanding by BREEAM.
“I’m excited to see this new first-class facility being open to the public, as I’ve no doubt it will help students and residents stay fit and healthy and enjoy all the wide-ranging benefits of an active lifestyle,” said Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan.
The facility, designed by FaulknerBrowns, is scheduled to open in 2020.
Development University of Stirling Sports Centre
Investment £20m
Construction on the University of Stirling’s £20m (US$25.7m, €22.2m) sports facility is now underway.
“This is a significant moment for health, wellbeing and sport,” explained University of Stirling director of sport Cathy Gallagher. “It signals the start of a transformational chapter in our history.”
Designed by architects FaulknerBrowns, the expansive complex, which is part of the school’s £41m facelift, will feature an array of amenities, including a strength and conditioning area, a fitness suite, a three-court sports hall, an indoor cycling studio and high-performance suite.
Sherief El-Salamani, the project lead for Sterling at FaulknerBrowns, said: “This scheme will enhance the student experience by providing new, more visually accessible sporting facilities, as well as a new gateway building, which will open up the performance, wellbeing and social aspects of the centre to the wider student body and local community.”
The building will integrate with the university’s existing world-class facilities, which include national tennis and swimming academies. It is scheduled to open its doors in summer 2020.
Development Strength and conditioning room
Size 400sq m
A wellbeing-focused Human Performance Lab and Strength and Conditioning Room has opened at Lancaster University after an eight-month refurbishment.
According to the university, the 400 sq m extension, which was first announced last year, will stimulate healthier living by encouraging members of the public and athletes to take a “positive mental attitude towards strength training”.
The extension has created more space to meet the increasing demand for sports facilities on campus and will temporarily accommodate the Human Performance Lab to support research and learning around a newly-introduced Sports Sciences degree.
The Human Performance Lab will move to a new Health Innovation Campus when it opens in 2020.
The space features power racks and Olympic lifting platforms and cardio equipment including Wattbikes and kit from Technogym’s Skill range, including Skill Bike, Skill Run, Skill Row and Skill Mill.
“We’re so excited to be adding this great new facility to the Sport Lancaster portfolio,” remarked Kim Montgomery, the school’s head of sport.
She continued: “This will benefit our competitive athletes and teams and individuals, as well as local and regional teams and organisations.”
The space will also be used by staff and the people living in the wider community, promoting health and wellbeing and encouraging more people to get active.
