Forest School, London

The new £4.5m leisure centre at Forest School, E17 features a 25 metre main pool, a learner pool, a cricket nets room, a multi-function gymnasium and a state-of-the-art fitness suite. The project was constructed in two phases. The first phase was the construction of the changing facilities to allow the demolition of the existing swimming pool and changing rooms. This steel framed structure was constructed at the rear of the main 1970s sports hall requiring careful detailing around its substructure and superstructure.

Phase two saw the demolition of the existing swimming pool and old changing rooms and the construction of the sports facilities. Particular engineering challenges were the under capacity of the existing site drainage and dealing with the water discharge flows when the pool is emptied, the adjacencies of the existing buildings and school boundaries, and the design of the roof above the gym where the main beams are cranked upwards in order to provide both natural light and sufficient height to allow trampolining activities to take place.