The Oriam project will provide
an arena for grass roots sports
development through to high
performance training for
elite athletes.
It comprises a full size indoor 3G synthetic
pitch for football and rugby with spectator
seating for 500 people, a nine-court sports
hall, a 100-station fitness suite, as well as a
high-performance wing that includes areas
for hydrotherapy, strength and conditioning,
rehabilitation, offices and a classroom.
Designed by Reiach and Hall Architects,
the project’s key feature is the roof,
comprising asymmetric steel arches and clad
in tensioned PVC. Its form was inspired by
the angle and trajectory of a Roberto Carlos
goal scored against France for Brazil in 1997.
The design has a simple layout with
two routes running east to west through
the building – a public route to the north
and a high-performance route to the
south; this allows the two areas to operate
autonomously.
Steel arches at 7m centres span over the
football hall and sports hall from buttresses
on each side onto a central street of piers.
The simplicity of the arrangement masks
the technical challenges in realising the form.
SSDA 2017
FACT FILE
Oriam, Heriot-Watt
University, Edinburgh
Architect: Reiach and
Hall Architects
Structural engineer:
Engenuiti
Steelwork contractor:
J & D Pierce (Contracts)
Ltd
Main contractor:
Bowmer & Kirkland
Client: Heriot-Watt
University
Oriam, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
celebrating
The football hall roof uses an asymmetric
arch profile, following Reiach and Hall’s
concept for the geometry.
In order to meet the project’s budget,
Engenuiti worked together with the
steelwork contractor to develop a simple
and elegant 2D truss design for the arches,
which required less prefabrication than
a previous design and provided material
savings for the project.
The sports hall roof again comprises
steel arches on a 7m grid, with straight
secondary steel members spanning between
exce ence
in
steel
the arches and curved tertiary steel members
spanning between secondary beams to
provide intermediate support for the roof
cladding.
Summing up, the judges say two parallel
vaulted forms spring from a central spine;
the larger one covers a football pitch,
whilst the smaller covers a sports hall. The
elegant lightweight steel trusses resulted
from a collaborative effort by the designers
and contractor, with the construction
methodology informing the roof structure
and supports from which it springs.
Call for entries for the 2018
Structural Steel Design Awards
The British Constructional Steelwork Association and Trimble Solutions
(UK) Ltd have pleasure in inviting entries for the 2018 Structural Steel
Design Awards.
The Awards celebrate the excellence of the United Kingdom and
the Republic of Ireland in the fi eld of steel construction, particularly
demonstrating its potential in terms of effi ciency, cost-effectiveness,
aesthetics and innovation.
The Awards are open to steel-based structures situated in the United
Kingdom or overseas that have been built by UK or Irish steelwork
contractors. They must have been completed and be ready for occupation
or use during the calendar years 2016-2017; previous entries are not eligible.
To fi nd out more and request an entry form visit
www.steelconstruction.org/resources/design-awards
or call Gillian Mitchell of BCSA on 020 7747 8121
Closing date for entries: Friday 23 February 2018
/design-awards