Context

Since the 1970s, Bath Sports and Leisure Centre has been the premier destination for residents from the city and the surrounding areas to keep fit. Management of the centre passed over to GLL (self-styled “Better”) which then embarked on an £8.5m remodelling and refitting program to bring the facility into line with current user expectations.

The refit was managed by leisure design and build experts, Createability, whose Deputy Managing Director Roy Clark said “[t]he 1970s centre was run down and poorly maintained…When GLL took over management of the site they wanted to extend the lifespan of the centre and offer better facilities, in line with their Better branding.

“As well as the extensive work to remodel the entire inside of the leisure centre to offer, modern, relevant leisure activities for the local community, we also carried out work to recover 80% of its roof.”

The centre had a new mezzanine floor with 573m2 fitness suite, two purpose-built fitness studios, and a dedicated 124m2 martial arts studio. A new café and dining area was added to the ground floor together with a trampoline park, an eight-lane bowling alley, three party rooms, and a soft play centre.

The big feature of the project was the refurbished 25m pool and new teaching pool. Showers, lockers, and changing rooms were also overhauled.

Work undertaken

Prihoda was involved in the installation of a new air ventilation system, stretching the full length of the pool, contracted by partner Hydro Heating Solutions.

Swimming pool air conditioning

The existing building suffered badly from condensation on the walls and glazing. After a period of deliberation from Hydro Heating Solutions, Prihoda’s vision led to them winning the project.

The ducting on Prihoda's system is very lightweight, making it particularly suitable for mounting to the wooden roof structure. The installation's purpose was to provide air to the pool but also to different aspects of the structure so that the condensation problem affecting the walls and the ceiling would be solved.

How this was solved

For the ducting over the main pool, Prihoa used arc suspension achieved via the deployment of dual support rails, allowing a single point of suspension to be created to support both rails.

Swept elbows were used to reduce pressure loss by two thirds with a curved and aesthetically appealing track. The ducting itself is Ø900mm x 58m long, delivering an air volume of 3.89m3/s at 150pa.

The same technique was used for the leisure pool duct at Ø600 x 42,500mm delivering an air volume of 1.73m3/s at 150pa.

Non-hygroscopic, washable and non-permeable Prihoda Classic material was used for both installations. Fabric nozzles of Ø20mm were employed which were flame-retardant and sonic-welded to the material used in the ducting. This gave the Centre reassurance that they would not fall out or damage the duct material when washed.