Plans have been approved for a new indoor sports facility at the University of Portsmouth.

The new 11,000 sq m building will be built at the University's Ravelin Park campus. Construction work will start this autumn and completion is scheduled for the end of 2020.

Mott MacDonald is providing multidisciplinary engineering services on the scheme to FaulknerBrowns Architects on the project. The development will eomprise an eight-lane swimming pool, fitness suite, sports hall, climbing wall, ski simulator and squash courts, as well as studios, teaching facilities and office space. The project also includes extensive landscaping to improve the public realm within Ravelin Park.

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Mott MacDonald is delivering civil, structural and fire engineering, as well as acoustics, transport, air quality, archaeology and heritage services on the project. The building will set new standards for sustainability for a sports building and is on target to be the first in the UK to achieve a BREEAM 'Outstanding' rating.

Ben Moss, Mott MacDonald's Design Lead, said: "In addition to the high sustainability aspirations, the constrained site means that several of the spaces have to be vertically stacked. To solve this challenge, we will bridge one part of the sports hall over the dance studios.

"The dynamic loadings will also require special analysis techniques to make sure that they meet the required standards for both strength and human comfort."

(LM/MH)