The new leisure centre, known as the Amenities Building at Granta Park, Cambridge will provide the science, technology and biopharmaceutical park with a central and accessible leisure facility for its clients and their staff. Working with Main Contractor VINCI Construction UK on this design and build project, the new facility will consist of gym space, a 25 metre lap pool, various studios and more.
As part of the building’s design, Munro will install exposed mechanical and electrical services known as ‘The Spine’ in the open plan gym, from AV equipment to supply and extract ventilation.
The mechanical and electrical services for this new facility at Granta Park include a CHP Unit which provides highly efficient heat and power generation which meets sustainability expectations for this modern, high quality leisure building.
In the pool hall, the electrical lighting installation consists of an up lit flood lighting system to avoid poolside glare, whilst mechanical installations consist of ventilation, sensors to control the water temperature and a specialist standalone air handling unit.
The studios’ AV equipment, ventilation and air conditioning will be controlled individually room by room. Meanwhile, the LED lighting installation in the spinning studio reacts and adjusts to the audio system, with both the lighting colours and display changes controllable via iPad in the room.
With aesthetics necessitating high ceilings, reaching a height of 3.7 metres in places such as the gym and studios, it left little space in the ceiling voids for our team’s M&E, particularly in the building’s ‘Spine.’ Fully co-ordinated drawings, careful planning, teamwork and patience were required to co-ordinate the containment and pipework. Munro faced a similar challenge and solution surrounding the kitchen design, with a limited height plasterboard ceiling at 3 metres.
The Amenities Building is due to open in 2018, with Munro expected to finish on site by the end of 2017.
If you’re interested, you can read about how these New Facilities Improve Employee Wellbeing at Granta Park here.