University of Stirling Sports Centre
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LocationStiling
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ClientUniversity of Stirling
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PhotographerKeith Hunter
Introduction
Located within the University of Stirling’s historic and landscape-rich campus, the new Sports Centre was conceived as a flagship facility to support elite sport, student wellbeing and wider community use. Designed as a highly transparent, contemporary building, the project brings together a wide range of performance, fitness and support spaces within a single architectural statement, while placing strong emphasis on energy efficiency, environmental comfort and long-term sustainability.
Gallery
Background
Harley Haddow provided full M&E consulting services for the redevelopment of the University of Stirling Sports Centre, a major new facility set within the University’s 330-acre campus. The project delivers a world-class sports environment for students, elite athletes and the wider community, including a sports hall, fitness suite, multi-use studios, high-performance training areas, offices and support facilities.
Challenges
The architectural vision of a highly glazed “glass box” with an internal cylindrical drum created significant risks around heat loss, solar gain, overheating and glare. The University placed strict limits on the use of mechanical cooling and rejected the use of blinds, requiring a solution that could maintain comfort, air quality and energy efficiency in large, fully glazed gym spaces without air conditioning.
Solutions
Harley Haddow used dynamic thermal and glare modelling to test and refine the design, leading to an optimised passive environmental strategy. This included façade-specific glazing with reduced g-values, external overhangs, and the removal of the proposed glass roof. A displacement ventilation strategy was adopted to maintain comfort without mechanical cooling, while bespoke internal timber shading to the central drum mitigated solar gain and glare. The resulting solution delivers a stable, energy-efficient internal environment while preserving the architectural intent and panoramic landscape views.
Project awards
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