The Tiffinian, South-West London

Zero-carbon community sports pavilion

Background

e-gg submitted a competition entry for a new building to replace failing changing blocks at the Grist Memorial Ground, home ground of the Old Tiffinians Football Club.

The designs are part of a strategic masterplan we had previously developed for the charity that owns and runs the site.

Team
Corbett & Tasker, Ritchie+Daffin and FT Allen
Status
Proposal
Approach

Changing blocks for the better

Our design was developed in collaboration with structural engineers Corbett & Tasker, engineering consultants Ritchie+Daffin and quantity surveyors FT Allen.

Our aim was to design the most sustainable sports pavilion in the UK in terms of carbon (embodied, unregulated, regulated), water use and biodiversity. To this end, a number of innovative servicing strategies are proposed.

The embodied carbon of heavier, flood-resilient ground construction will be offset by carbon-positive timber frame above ground.

The structure is conceived as a single-storey sequence of social and changing facilities beneath a sculpted green and PV-laden roof that is optimised for low-energy heating, cooling and ventilation strategies.

Three distinct pavilion ‘blocks’ are proposed, to meet the myriad needs of the various user groups. These are arranged to provide strong visual and physical connections across the site.

The roof form is designed to provide shelter and frame views, with a ridgeline that recalls the pitched roofs of neighbouring properties.

Vision

The proposed facilities will activate underutilised parts of the site, enabling a broader offer of sports and learning opportunities. A new all-weather playing surface means fewer games will be cancelled, driving up income and assisting with club recruitment.

Internally, all manner of changing combinations will suit any type of activity, while the social space can be used for indoor exercise classes such as yoga and fitness.

This will be a facility that educates generations of pupils, alumni and the wider community for years to come.