PLAY, TRAIN AND COMPETE IN ONE OF UK’S MOST SUSTAINABLE SPORTS CENTRES

PLAY, TRAIN AND COMPETE IN ONE OF THE UK'S MOST SUSTAINABLE SPORTS CENTRES

The University of Portsmouth’s new Ravelin Sports Centre is an outstanding new sports centre for students and local residents. Superb facilities include a 25m 8 lane swimming pool, 175 station gym, climbing wall, ski simulator, and community orchard.

With views to the historic parkland outside, taking a dip in the pool will seem like swimming in the open air. Rising from basement to roof, the impressive climbing wall will challenge your skills. Using the latest fitness technology, a workout in the gym or virtual skiing will keep health goals on track. Ravelin Sports Centre has been designed to the highest sustainability credentials for sports centres in the UK. This facility is aiming to be net zero carbon ready and has received a top rating of ‘Outstanding’ at design stage from BREEAM UK, the world’s leading sustainability assessment for buildings. Located in Ravelin Park, Museum Road, its spaces exploit natural light and ventilation. The sports hall is located at the top of the building, allowing for natural light from its roof lights to minimise energy consumption. The 8 lane swimming pool on the ground floor is glazed enabling swimmers to have views of the natural green spaces outside, creating the feeling of open-air swimming in the park. Ravelin Sports Centre will utilise renewable sources of energy from 684 photovoltaic roof panels and internal heat recovery systems. Pool water is reused for toilet flushing and a new community orchard is part of a sustainable drainage system. A green roof has also been installed and sown with grass and wildflower seed.

The green feel for Ravelin Sports Centre extends through its design. From the distinctive natural terracotta cladding that has been selected to blend with the historic buildings nearby to the ethos of extending the activity inside this modern sports facility into the landscape of Ravelin Park through new pathways and a wildflower amphitheatre for outdoor events. The amphitheatre and surrounding park has been sown with a vibrant mixture of wildflowers, herbs and perennials including daisies, cowslips, yarrow, thyme and chives. 140 new native trees have been planted and bat and bird boxes are planned to increase fauna and biodiversity. For more information visit: https://sport.port.ac.uk/southsea-lifestyle