The plan of action

Site planning
The position of sports buildings and facilities on a school site can have a significant effect upon usage, particularly on out-of-hours community use. Consider ways to:

• create a co-location of services under one roof. For example, dual-use sports facilities combined with an arts centre, library, IT suite or café;
• complement the transport plan with adequate parking, minibus drop-off points, and secure cycle racks;
• protect against site constraints such as flood risk, site topography, and tree preservation orders; and
• ensure routes to the buildings and surrounding sports pitches are accessible.

Indoor facilities 
Sports halls and pitches provide the setting for a variety of sports and activities. Consider:

• flooring: no one sports surface will suit all sports, so decide on your priority sports;
• dimensions of the hall: a typical sports hall is a four-court badminton hall (33m x 18m x 7.6m high);
• wall surfaces that are flush and impact resisting: careful detail should be paid to doors, skirtings, sockets and other potential obstructions;
• place the structure and light fittings between badminton courts, allowing for the height of the sports hall to be maintained while providing clear, unobstructed heights over the courts;
• light at lux levels to suit the priority sports and level of play. Include colour contrast between the floor, walls and ceiling, aiding orientation with appropriate reflectance values (around 50 per cent to the floors and walls, 90 per cent to the ceiling). Where natural lighting is integrated, provide it at a high level and avoid glare or unevenness of light; and
• allow for storage space that is a 12.5 per cent minimum of the sports hall floor area.

Indoor changing provision
Well-designed and appropriate changing facilities are as important as the activity spaces themselves. Consider ways to:

• calculate the space required for changing from class sizes and the maximum occupancy levels of the activity areas they support, including changeovers. Allow at least 1m² per person;
• provide equal proportions of male and female changing and consider buffer changing zones;
• provide separate dedicated changing facilities for use by PE teachers, coaches or officials;
• fully accessible rooms: consider door widths, turning circles and avoid raised thresholds to shower areas;
• ensure high quality, robust materials are specified to meet users’ expectations and to ensure a long lifespan. Consider high-level natural lighting and avoid suspended ceilings. Include grooming stations with mirror, shelf and hair-drying facilities; and
• calculate bench space, shower, toilet, and locker provision as a ratio of the capacity. For example, provide 0.5m of bench width per user, one shower for every six users, and a range of locker types and sizes.

Building services provision
Sports facilities can be energy-intensive; building services require careful design and management. Consider:

• environmental and economic sustainability: ensure integrated energy-efficient services that minimise environmental impact and reduce long-term operating costs;
• energy-saving systems incorporating intelligent controls for efficient operational management;
• obtain specialist advice from a qualified building services consultant;
• heating systems: ensure appropriate ambient temperatures to each space and consider the pros and cons of the costs, control, and maintenance of different systems eg radiant, warm air, underfloor heating;
• ventilation systems: ensure a sufficient number of air changes to each space;
• lighting requirements: specify correct lighting levels for player visibility and safety. Ensure lux levels are appropriate to the range of sports to be played (eg indoor cricket requires considerably increased lux levels);
• acoustics requirements: large sporting spaces with hard surfaces can be challenging environments for teaching and coaching; and
• integrated power supplies. For example, equipment and sound systems linked to the school’s ICT system.

Outdoor facilities
Synthetic turf pitches (STPs) can withstand a high intensity of school and community use. Consider:

• the STP size and layout, taking into account the level of play and necessary safety margins. Check all dimensions with relevant NGB requirements. Take the playing surface right up to the fence line;
• the choice of surface suits the priority sports, the intensity of use and intended lifespan. Generally, surfaces consist of a synthetic yarn supported by a filling material (eg sand, rubber crumb etc). There are many surface options with each containing variables (eg pile height and density, choice of shockpad, construction materials and drainage system). Seek expert specialist advice from experienced, qualified professionals and test the STP performance characteristics using standardised testing methods;
• undertake a detailed site survey and ground investigations. STP costs are greatly influenced by site conditions (eg existing topography, access, and drainage). Avoid nearby tree roots/branches;
• maintenance: for a long-lasting, consistent sports surface this is of paramount importance. Follow contractor’s maintenance instructions and plan for the cost of the eventual replacement of the surface;
• full accessibility: with well-lit, paved access to outward opening gates contained within the fencing line; and
• floodlighting: to enable maximum out-of-hours use of school STP facilities.

Outdoor changing provision
It is essential that outdoor changing provision is provided to support community and school play. Consider:

• in most circumstances, it is not considered appropriate or practical to combine changing for indoor and outdoor sports;
• calculate the space required for changing for the number of pitches, changeovers, and intensity of use. Potential sub-division of pitches mean that STPs/MUGAs sustain high usage;
• provide team changing rooms that cater for players, substitutes and equipment. Different sports will have different space requirements (eg 16m² for football, cricket and hockey, 20m² for rugby);
• provide separate changing facilities for use by PE teachers, referees and officials;
• locate outdoor changing facilities within separate accommodation, close to the external pitches. An office, storage and possible clubroom could be included to create a pavilion building; and
• allow one shower for every four changing spaces and locate showers and drying areas as far as possible from changing entrances to avoid mud transfer.

Contacts for more information
From the Sport England technical guidance database for specific sports:

Badminton England and Sport England have jointly published a Badminton Design Guidance Note.

Climbing and mountaineering

The BMC publishes a technical booklet called the Climbing Wall Manual that can be purchased from the BMC website.

Cricket

Exercise, Movement, and Dance

Fencing

Fitness

Gymnastics (including Trampolining)

British Gymnastics’ Facility Strategy 2006 contains guideline specifications for all gymnastics and trampoline disciplines. Additional information is given on layout and strategic planning.

www.british-gymnastics.org/downloads/index.php?act=view&id=846

The Sports and Play Construction Association