Desco Develops Concept for Combined Community Hub
Desco’s enviable reputation for designing award-winning sport and leisure facilities has helped the business secure another major new-build community-use leisure project.
Known as the Chiltern Life Centre, the proposed £30m new-build scheme will see sport and leisure facilities, a library, theatre, climbing wall, and community centre brought together under one roof in a new state-of-the-art building.
Working alongside celebrated sports architects Space + Place, project managers Hadron consulting and structural engineers Engenuiti, Desco has been appointed to design the mechanical, electrical and pool filtration services for the proposed new hub for the community of Amersham in the Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire.
The new centre is planned to include:
• An eight-lane 25 metre swimming pool with viewing area
• High diving and teaching pool alongside a kids’ splash pad area
• Four badminton court sports hall
• Climbing wall
• Children’s soft play area and clip ‘n’ climb
• Library
• Cafe area
• Squash courts
• 150 station gym and exercise studios (including spin)
• Community centre, meeting and drama spaces
• Nursery
• Disability club
One of the drivers behind the design of new facility is to provide an alternative to the existing Chiltern Pools complex which is nearing the end of its useful life and is proving expensive to run and maintain.
The scheme is currently in the early design stages with consideration and preparation of a formal planning application and public consultation process proposed for later in 2018.
“David Wright, Desco’s technical director responsible for the practice’s sport and leisure work, explained, “this new swimming and sports centre scheme will not only offer the community of Amersham a wider range of sport and leisure activities within an inclusive, comfortable, secure and welcoming environment, but we also plan to incorporate a range of tried and tested, sustainable and energy efficient design features to the scheme, with the aim of lowering running costs.”
David Wright