Oundle School is one of Britain’s leading co-educational boarding and day schools. The new sports centre provides a unique facility in the School, offering indoor sports accommodation for the pupils as well as allowing access to the community through a membership scheme. The building is designed to cater for both groups of occupants in differing proportions, at different times whilst always being able to provide security for both pupils and public.

Key facilities include a 50m 6 lane training pool with a submersible boom and moving floor to provide variable water depth and an eight court sports hall able to accommodate all 1,300 pupils and staff in an assembly format. The project also includes an 80 station fitness suite, dedicated dance studio and a range of dual use hospitality suites and studios. A full commercial kitchen that can serve up to 280 covers is provided along with a ‘Costa’ style cafe in the dramatic atrium space with views to the swimming pool.  

High quality finishes were selected to complement and enhance the exposed CLT, reduce glare from large areas of glazing and provide acoustic absorption where appropriate.  This elegant scheme has been carefully coordinated to combine bespoke feature lighting, bespoke joinery, discrete yet effective inclusive signage and furniture proposals that add colour and vibrancy to the restrained, textural palette of interior finishes.

Photography courtesy of Richard Fraser Photography