GT3 ARCHITECTS
A PEOPLE-FIRST APPROACH
REVOLUTIONARY LEISURE CENTRE SET TO BOOST FITNESS AFTER LOCKDOWN
A STATE-OF-THE-ART leisure centre has completed in Hornchurch , East London for Havering Borough Council and Everyone Active , creating a multi-purpose , accessible space for the local community .
Designed by sports and leisure experts GT3 Architects , and delivered alongside Metnor Construction and Paragon BC , Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre opened to the public earlier this year in line with government guidance .
Spanning two floors and covering more than 6,000m2 , the facility replaces the existing Hornchurch Sports Centre . The flexible space accommodates a wide range of different leisure activities including an impressive 25m eight-lane pool complete with 250 seat viewing gallery , wet changing village , sauna , steam-room , and an onsite café opening out onto a public plaza .
Associate director and project lead at GT3 Architects , Suzanne Blair , said : “ Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre has been designed with a ‘ people-first ’ approach . We really wanted to deliver a modern yet accessible centre that offers fitness , leisure , and social opportunities for everyone in the community , while supporting wider activities in the park .
“ We therefore worked closely with the design team , Everyone Active , Metnor , and Paragon – to deliver an inclusive facility for everyone to enjoy . We ’ re really proud of this project and we are certain that it will benefit local people for years to come .
A separate specialist learner and dive pool has been installed to offer increased flexibility for the centre . A movable pool floor will also facilitate a range of activities , from baby and toddler classes through to diving lessons , aqua aerobics , and group wheelchair access .
GT3 Architects also worked with world-leading pool expert Myrtha Pools to deliver the outstanding facilities – utilising the firm ’ s innovative prefabricated steel tank technology to create the custom pool .
Tom Fletcher , area contract manager at Everyone Active , said : “ The brand-new Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre is a welcome addition to the town , and the local community will benefit greatly from all the fantastic facilities we have to offer .
“ The leisure centres in Havering are pivotal in providing a wide range of facilities to the community and we ’ re passionate about helping more people to improve their health and wellbeing by getting active . We have already seen many new and returning members come to visit and hope to see even more over the coming weeks .”
Councillor Damian White , leader of Havering Council , said : “ Leisure is at the forefront of the Council ’ s ambition and I am very excited to see the local community benefit from this addition . Leisure centres play an important role in creating Covid-secure spaces for people to improve physical and mental wellbeing as we come out of lockdown .
“ This is the next step in the Council ’ s ongoing investment in leisure facilities , which includes starting on another brand-new leisure centre in Rainham later this year .”
Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre is also home to a fitness suite offering 150 workout stations with floor-to-ceiling windows maximising the beautiful park views . Three multi-function fitness studios and a large four-court sports hall lend themselves to a host of different activities to suit the needs of Hornchurch ’ s residents from badminton to basketball .
For further information visit www . gt3architects . com or join the conversation over on Twitter @_ GT3Architects
ARCHETECH - PAGE 58