The Doug Ellis Sports Centre

Birmingham City University, Birmingham

The University developed the brief for the centre over a number of years and the spatial requirements evolved into a building that provides a sports hall, fitness suite, dance and aerobics studios and an all-weather pitch with associated changing facilities.  It is designed to serve their sites across the city, and also provides the wider community with access to high quality sport venues.  Our response to the brief was to design a contemporary scheme, with sharp edged simplicity and a vibrant façade treatment to the blank sports hall.  A combination of natural materials including brickwork and cedar cladding are juxtaposed against crisp curtain walling and polycarbonate cladding.  The siting of the building makes it visible from the main academic campus as well as the wider context.

The University procured the building and associated landscape works using a Design and Construct contract with a well-developed set of Employer’s Requirements.