Structural Timber Award – Alfriston School Swimming Pool – Latest

Structural Timber Award – Alfriston School Swimming Pool

Five hundred leaders and innovators from across the construction sector gathered at the NEC, Birmingham, for the inaugural Structural Timber Awards, rewarding outstanding projects, innovative products and dynamic people promoting excellence in structural timber across the UK.

Following on from a recent National RIBA Award and Wood Award accolade, Alfriston School Swimming Pool has been highly commended as ‘Project of the Year’, whilst Elliott Wood received a commendation for ‘Engineer of the Year’.

Elliott Wood worked with Duggan Morris Architects to replace an existing pool structure with an up to date facility. The building has a beautiful floating timber roof, which houses the four-lane swimming pool, changing areas, gymnasium, fitness suite and offices. Structural changes included realising the complex geometries in the roof and maintaining an open soffit. A system of panels was developed using cross laminated timber boarding fixed to glue laminated beams. The roof panels act as structural elements spanning the swimming pool and provide stability.

Small diameter steel columns were designed to act to cantilever from the reinforced concrete retaining walls, transferring the vertical and horizontal loads from the roof structure. This method eliminates any cross-bracing and minimises the visual structure giving the appearance of the floating roof.