Construction work began in July last year on a major new indoor sports facility at the University of the West of England’s Frenchay Campus in Bristol. The sports hall is part of the University’s £80M development which includes accommodation for nearly 2,000 students due to open in September 2006. The University received planning permission for the development from South Gloucestershire Council in October 2004.

The new student accommodation will be linked to the University’s network and make accessible from the student flats most of the facilities available in tutorial rooms, computer labs and the library. This includes UWE’s on-line virtual learning environment (one of the largest in the UK), databases and fast internet access.

Vice Chancellor Alfred Morris said: “The plans anticipate the needs of the next generation of students. The integration of academic, study and social experiences will help new students feel more involved and better supported by the University. The accommodation itself will draw on the latest best practice in terms of accessibility, security and sustainability.”

The plans for new accommodation and sports facilities also take account of student feedback - in UWE’s annual student satisfaction survey 85per cent of students felt it important to provide accommodation for first year students on or close to the campus.

Construction work is being carried out by Main Contractor, Carillion Construction and designed by Building Design Partnership (BDP).

The sports hall - the size of eight badminton courts - will benefit from underfloor heating and will have the very latest technology such as centrally controlled heating and lighting.

Supported on a steel frame, the building will feature a mixture of elevational treatments including brickwork, rendering and timber, whilst a metal mono-pitch roof will top off the building. A large expanse of curtain walling will feature at the the entrance where a large proportion of the office accommodation will be located.

The new sports hall will enable the University to host regional level sporting events in addition to inter-University student competitions such as basketball, volleyball and badminton. Top level individual performers will benefit from an extensive upgrade to on campus training facilities. The facilities will also be available for external users and to those from the local community.

• A main hall, with a viewing gallery, which can cater for: basketball, volleyball, badminton, 5-aside football, trampolining, indoor hockey, netball and cricketp>

• An aerobics studio on the first floor with a wooden sprung floor will host a variety of exercise classes and will also be used for dance

• A new state-of-the-art multi-fitness suite with cardiovascular, resistance machines and free weights. This area will also benefit from audio visual entertainment while people exercise

• Two glass backed squash courts

• Indoor and outdoor changing facilities

• A physiology lab for testing and monitoring performance of elite and club level athletes

• A cafe area will provide light refreshments to all visitors to the facility.

Mike Hibbert, Director of Sport and Recreation at UWE says: “This excellent new facility will provide a great venue for UWE sports teams - bringing indoor and outdoor sports (on the artificial pitch) together for the first time. Being able to play BUSA competitions for basketball, badminton, squash, hockey and volleyball on the Frenchay Campus will be a great morale booster for our teams.

We have had some great sporting successes in recent years - such as the excellent performance of our rowing club, but these new facilities will be a great boost for students both in terms of training and morale.

“We will also be able to run more programmes to train students as qualified coaches and referees and to build on our work with the local community making links with external clubs and offering them coaching and training.”

As a sport, Badminton stands to gain a big boost from the new facilities. Toby Honey, a final year student from the Faculty of the Built Environment and currently ranked fourth in the UK for Senior Men’s Badminton, says he is delighted that his sport will be getting a home venue on the Frenchay Campus: “The opportunity to train on campus rather than travel outside of Bristol will be a great help in making life easier for me and other student athletes.”

Mike Hibbert says the facilities will bring fitness and health benefits to all UWE students, particularly the 2,000 students who will be living in the new student village from September 2006: “The student village residents will have the opportunity to take part in intra-mural sports competitions and an enhanced range of recreational activities. There will also be taster sessions for students to try out various activities for the first time. Following the recent success of our ‘Health Awareness weeks for Staff and Students,’ the new facility will allow the expansion of this programme and an increase in our level of service.”