
Award-winning contractor Beard has commenced work on a new sports hall development for Richmond upon Thames School. The start of construction works was marked by a groundbreaking event on the site, where representatives from the school, local council and key project partners signed commemorative bricks that will be laid into the substructure work.
The £5.9m project designed by ECE Architecture will see Beard’s Guildford office build the two-storey, 1,357 sq m facility. In addition to the multi-use sports hall on the first floor, construction will include ground floor changing rooms, toilet and shower facilities, studio spaces and a reception area. The finished building will also include a living roof to support biodiversity, as well as photovoltaic solar panels.
Work has already begun on the building’s steel frame, which will feature external cladding to match the existing campus. The project is set to complete next summer, ready for the next intake of students.
It will be the first permanent sports facility in the school’s history, replacing the temporary buildings currently used. The building will also be used by Clarendon School and by the local community, with its development helping to meet the necessary conditions for more affordable housing in the area.
Working alongside Alcove Architecture and structural engineers Crouch Waterfall, Beard has carefully planned the project to maintain safety and limit disruption for the school’s students. While the site is far enough away to not impact day-to-day operations, Beard has implemented hoardings around the build and utilises a dedicated entrance. As part of it scheduling of works, Beard has liaised with the school to minimise noise or distraction during peak times such as exam season.
The project follows another start on site for Beard at the very same campus. The Guildford office is working with Richmond upon Thames College on a £10m project to build a three-storey, state-of-the-art STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) centre.
Tom Jenkinson, Beard director for Guildford said: “The new sports centre marks an exciting new chapter, not just for Richmond upon Thames School, but for the entire community, and Beard is thrilled to be able to play our part. Our focus on quality and delivery, particularly in the education sector, as well as maintaining strong relationships with all stakeholders will stand us in good stead during this development.
Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council, added: “The new sports hall forms an integral part of the Richmond Education and Enterprise Campus and once completed, will provide fantastic facilities for students and the local community. We are pleased to see Beard start work and we’re grateful for their expertise and collaboration to not only help meet our objectives, but to create a safe environment for both staff and students. We look forward to working with them closely throughout the duration of the project.”
Stuart Eatock, Managing Director at ECE Architecture, said: “We are delighted to continue our excellent relationship with Richmond and Wandsworth Councils on the final phase of development at the Richmond upon Thames School campus. The purpose-built sports hall will provide the school with much needed indoor multi-functional activity spaces, which will be open for use by the local community. The selection of robust, high-quality materials is driven by our strong understanding of the surrounding site, having also delivered the recent school building. We look forward to working with Beard to deliver the scheme to the benefit of the residents.”
Alongside Guildford, Beard has offices in Swindon, Bristol and Oxford, with plans to expand to the south coast in 2024. Alongside projects across the education sector, the award-winning contractor has also completed a number of sporting projects, whether it’s state-of-the-art training grounds or community centres for the likes of Bristol City FC, Bristol Bears Rugby and Swindon Town FC.