The University of Portsmouth is building an outstanding new £57m public sports centre on campus in Ravelin Park. Construction began in 2019 and has continued throughout the pandemic. Work is now focussed internally to complete the facilities that include a 25m 8 lane swimming pool, 175 station fitness suite, climbing wall, ski simulator, café and 8 court sports hall. Planning is underway to open later this year to students, staff and local residents.
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’ from BREEAM UK, the world’s leading sustainability assessment for buildings.
This building is fossil free and will utilise renewable sources of energy from roof solar panels and internal heat recovery systems. Pool water is re-used for toilet flushing and a new community orchard is part of a sustainable drainage system. A wildflower amphitheatre events space has also been created. This space and the 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 are also being planted. The installation of bat and bird boxes are also planned to increase fauna and biodiversity.
For weekly updates follow us on LinkedIn/Developing Our Campus and for more information visit port.ac.uk/building-our-future
