Architects Choice

BAQUS is a construction and property consultancy and was a Support Sponsor of this Legacy Project. BAQUS (formerly Boxall Sayer and Alex Sayer Ltd) has provided technical services, including project management and quantity surveying, for sports & leisure centres over many years. Principal centre projects include: –

Sturminster Newton Sports Centre; Chipping Norton Leisure Centre; Wincanton Sports and Leisure Centre, Somerset; Mile End Sports Centre; Formby Pool, Lancashire; Worthing Pool (Splashpoint); XC Hemel Hempstead; Holly Hill Leisure Centre (Fareham) – see BAQUS data sheets.

FAULKNER BROWNS LLP is very active today and was one of the earliest practices specialising in sport and leisure, having designed the largest dome-structure in Europe at the time for the Lightfoot Centre in Newcastle in 1965 (the Bells Centre by Perth Borough Architects in 1968 was a similar dome). Faulkner Brown’s pyramid design for Bletchley Leisure Centre in 1974 was highly original and Concordia LC in Cramlington followed in 1976. See some of Faulkner Brown’s more recent projects.

Saunders ARCHITECTS have also developed a longstanding reputation, ranging from Littlehampton Swimming Centre and Littledown Sports Centre, Bournemouth, in the 1980s to additions and enhancements to the Mountbatten Centre, Portsmouth in 2009 and the new Harlow Leisurezone in 2010 – see selected Saunders projects.

WATSON BATTY have been active on the centre design scene over the last 20 years. Centres have included Coalville Leisure Centre, Egham Orbit LC, Washington LC and South Charnwood High School – see Watson Batty select project profiles.

REIACH & HALL, based in Edinburgh, have been responsible for major sports projects in Scotland – Aberdeen Sports Village; Oriam, the national performance centre at Heriot Watt University and the planned Peffermill Sports Centre at Edinburgh University (see more Reiach & Hall details).

RYDER ARCHITECTURE, a wide-ranging practice with UK office. Ryder designed Ashington Leisure Centre and Newcastle University Sports Centre.

LA ARCHITECTS are based in Lewes, near Brighton, and offer a specialist sports and leisure service. LA have designed a number of sports and leisure centres, one of the earliest being the Spectrum in Guildford in 1986. Others more recently include Glass Mill in Lewisham, The Portal in Irvine, Scotland, and Dereham LC for Breckland DC.

POLLARD THOMAS EDWARDS is a broad-based practice specialising in the creation of new neighbourhoods and the revitalisation of old ones with projects embracing the whole spectrum of residential development – and other essential ingredients which make our cities and towns into thriving and sustainable places. As such they have been particularly involved in the planning and development of two London sports centres – Whitechapel and Finsbury by PTE.

WSW Consultancy (Chartered Building Surveyors and Architecture), based in Fleet, Hampshire, have been responsible for one of the most outstanding set of school sports facilities in the UK at Weydon School, Farnham in Surrey (see Weydon by WSW and also in Ch 8 – 8.1).

TO GIVE AN INDICATION OF THECURRENT SCALE OF ARCHITECTURAL INTEREST IN SPORTS AND LEISURE CENTRES, A LIST OF OTHER ARCHITECTS INVOLVED IN MODERN CENTRES GAINED DURING THE PROJECT RESEARCH IS ALSO INCLUDED (see Other Architects link).

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