BAKERHICKS PROVIDE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY EXPERTISE FOR NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART ALLANDER LEISURE CENTRE
The new £42.5m Allander Leisure Centre in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, has officially opened its doors to the public, following completion of the first phase of works.
The state-of-the-art facility benefitted from civil & structural and mechanical & electrical engineering expertise from BakerHicks, the multi-disciplinary design, engineering and project delivery company.
Interior and exterior architectural photography of Allander Leisure Centre by Holmes Miller
The new centre boasts two swimming pools, a fully-equipped gym, accompanying dance & exercise studios and spin rooms, plus an eight-court multi-sports hall, changing facilities and café. The main building also accommodates a range of support facilities for adults with learning disabilities. In addition, there is a hydrotherapy pool for use by people with learning disabilities, families with young babies, and people with mobility issues.
Supporting with the initial feasibility study, BakerHicks provided civil & structural and mechanical & electrical engineering expertise throughout the project, as well as Building Information Modelling (BIM). Working closely with the main contractors, McLaughlin & Harvey, they have played a key role in creating a centre characterised by huge open spaces to help inspire the local community.
Interior and exterior architectural photography of Allander Leisure Centre by Holmes Miller
With the new facility being built next to the existing leisure centre, and water courses surrounding the site, the overall footprint of the project was restricted. As a result, a stacked design was preferred, with the sports hall situated on the first floor over the pool hall. Recognising the challenges this created, BakerHicks used 3D modelling to review and test the design and structures from the likelihood of vibration caused by hundreds of gym-goers’ feet thudding on the wooden floors on a daily basis. This meant increasing part of the composite floor slab from the 150mm thickness used elsewhere to a 240mm-thick concrete slab to dampen the effects.
BakerHicks are also currently working on the design of the new Blairgowrie Recreation and Leisure Centre, which incorporates Passivhaus design, and are providing civil & structural design for the new Eastwood Leisure Centre.