The indoor pitch
structure has been
constructed to blend
into the landscape
“Using steel
for all of the
buildings has
helped us
achieve the
required speed
of delivery."
NSC
13
Apr 20
once the pieces were connected to their
supporting perimeter columns.
Once erected, the trusses were tied to the
retaining wall structure and then a backfill
operation was undertaken to create the
slopes on either side of the building.
Creating some more architectural
interest to the structure, the arched roof
has an overhang of up to 12.5m-deep at
each gable end. The overhang is supported
by a series of UC section cantilever rafters
propped off the top of the gable posts.
As well as the indoor pitch building,
the other main structure on this huge
184-acre site, is an integrated steel-framed
three-storey, training centre building for
the first team and academy squads. It will
include a hydrotherapy pool, gyms, lecture
and tactics rooms, changing rooms, offices,
and on the uppermost level, 28 bedrooms
and two suites designed to a five-star hotel
standard.
This structure is also said to respond
to the site’s topography, as it incorporates
two gentle curves along its 200m length.
Constructed on a slope, it has three floors
along the southern elevation and two on
the northern side.
“This allows the structure to step-down
towards the facility’s pitches, while the
curvature of the building directs the squads
to their individual training areas, as the
first team and academy squads are based
at separate ends of the centre,” adds Mr
Pierini.”
The building is 20m-wide for the most
part and the majority of the structure has
been designed with a central spine corridor,
with rooms on either side. The main
exception being the centrally-positioned
first floor dining area. A series of cellular
beams spans the corridor, housing the main
service ducts, which subsequently filter into
each individual room.
“Steel was the ideal solution for the
indoor building because of the required
spans, but the decision to use the material
for the training centre building was because
it ties in easily with the large adjacent
concrete elements for a podium and
swimming pool, which were being formed
while the steelwork was being installed,”
explains TRP Consulting Engineer Zahid
Patel.
Surrounding these two large buildings
are 11 full-size outdoor pitches, eight
smaller pitches, five training grids and two
goalkeeping areas.
Alongside the construction of buildings,
the project has also required a huge
earthmoving programme to be completed,
in order to plateau and level the ground in
preparation for the pitches.
However, one of the initial tasks was
to relocate a large number of reptiles,
including great crested newts, to a new
home within the site. Over 400 fish
were netted and rehomed to new ponds,
while 27 acres of retained woodland will
eventually be bolstered by the planting of
38,000 new trees.
Once the preparatory works had been
completed, McLaren and BHC, started the
steel erection process with the project’s
smaller buildings, while the design of the
two main structures was being finalised.
This steel erection work consisted of
a two-storey sports turf academy, where
future grounds-people will be trained,
followed by a 499-seat grandstand for a
junior pitch. Designed with steel columns
and beams supporting precast terrace
units, the stand will allow under-23
and under-18 teams to play in front of
a crowd and experience a proper match
environment.
A steel-framed parent’s pavilion was
also erected. This single-storey building,
adjacent to the junior football pitches, will
offer kid’s parents a refuge from inclement
weather and somewhere to sit down with a
tea or coffee.
With so many football pitches, as
well as a golf course (a remnant of the
original club) to take care of, a large fleet
of specialist turf equipment is needed.
A steel-framed machine store was also
erected to house these vehicles, alongside
a boiler house that will power the Centre’s
under soil heating.
Sport
A total of 13 arched
trusses form the
signature structure
/Steel_construction_products#Standard_open_sections
/Residential_and_mixed-use_buildings#Hotels
/Steel_construction_products#Cellular_beams
/Steel_construction_products#Cellular_beams
/The_case_for_steel
/Construction#Steel_erection
/Leisure_buildings#Sightlines_and_seating
/Leisure_buildings#Sightlines_and_seating