The Carnegie School of Sport teaching and research building has been designed as a base for undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes; providing a hub for the elite athletes who use the university’s sports performance expertise.

The new 90,000sqft teaching centre can cater for more than 1,600 students with five lecture theatres and around 40 research and teaching laboratories. Key features of the building also include a covered rooftop 60m sprint track for performance training and analysis, that cantilevers 12m from the building, dedicated research laboratories and a health and wellbeing studio.

The building also houses two world class environmental chambers, which can mimic different altitudes and environments. There are also enhanced strength and conditioning spaces, changing and recovery facilities, a number of networking spaces, a café, informal teaching spaces and learning support areas.

The structural solution provides:

• Long spans that maximise future adaptability / flexibility for re-planning departments / office space, allowing teaching and research requirements to evolve over time.
• Maximum structural / service zone for service distribution. The integration of services through the cell beams helped minimise the building height, hence saving costs on cladding, and satisfying planning.
• Easily penetrable floor slab zones allow for additional service distribution.
• Excellent acoustic and vibration performance.
• Offsite fabrication and repetitive frame construction giving a short overall programme on site.

Key points:

• Two world class environmental chambers
• Specialist research, teaching and nutritional laboratories
• Cantilevered 60m indoor running track
• Rooftop walking track
• Designed to BREEAM Excellent

Image courtesy of John Kees Photography