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Sports HallsDesignGuidance NoteModular approach to hall sizesFor school projects aminimum size of 34.5 x 20.0x 7.5 m is recommended 8 .Badminton is often the sport which has the mostinfluence over the design of sports halls. It isfrequently a popular activity and has a convenientspace requirement for adopting a modularapproach to the sizing of halls. It can also influencea number of building elements such as the roofstructure, lighting, background colours and airvelocities. These issues are discussed in moredetail in Sections 5 and 6.A single badminton court space is regarded as thesmallest practical multi-sport space. See SportEngland design guidance note ‘Community andVillage Halls’.The number of Badminton courtsis used as an easy reference forthe size of a sports hall.(i.e. 4 or 12 court hall)See table on page 7 for nominalhall sizes and the range of sportsthat can be accommodated.Specifications for multi-sport hallsA hall based on a 4 badminton court module canbe successfully designed to accommodate arange of sports, but careful attention should begiven to the proposed level of play category foreach sport, the critical dimensions for the ‘principalplaying area’ and ‘run off’ spaces and the choiceof sports floor.Two or three badminton court halls are also seenas valuable facilities, but a four court configurationis required for many sports that need to be playedalong the length of the space. However additionallength and width is likely to be required to obtainthe best value for money.The Sport England publication ‘Developing theRight Sports Hall’ sets out a 7 step process thatincludes decisions about establishing which sportsare considered as ‘priority’ and ‘secondary’ withina hall. In multi-sports projects, the individual spatialrequirements of sports such as netball, handball,hockey and korfball that exceed the minimumrequirements for 4 badminton courts are critical extra space will be required both on the width andthe length.This has led to the updated 4 court hall modulewith nominal dimensions of 34.5 x 20.0 x 7.5 mand a larger 5 court hall module with nominaldimensions of 40.6 x 21.35 x 7.5 m being theminimum sizes for multi-sport projects, dependingon the range of sports to be accommodated. Seethe table on page 7 for the sports, level of playcategories and court numbers that can beaccommodated within a range of typical nominalhall sizes based on these modules.8In the past, Building Bulletin 98 referred to a minimum sizeof 18 x 33 x 7.6m. This size is now considered by SportEngland and the NGBs to be unsuitable as it does not allowthe recommended court sizes and limits teaching / coachingand flexibility of use.February Revision 0055 Sport England 2012

Sports HallsDesignGuidance NoteAcoustic dividing screen at the centre point of a 6-court hall on a school site allows the space to be divided into two teaching spacesThe 4 and 5 court hallsprovide additional spacefor teaching school PEand coachingThe updated sizes for the4 and 5 badminton courtmodules give advantagesfor the individual sportswhich include:(particularly when the hall issub-divided into two sections).0mVolleyball 2 training courts that can be separatedby netting Space on side for officials tables forcentral court18m0mBasketball Space for safety zones to NGB’sstandards Space on side for official’s tables17m18m0m34.5m0m51.75m0mNetball Space for increased size of court andsafety zones (but still less than NGBrecommendation unless the width isincreased to 21.35 m)27m20.0m40.0m60.0m0mHandball Additional length for court (1m short)*Cricket Additional length for bowlers run upend34.5m21.35m42.7m64.05mOthers Added general flexibility for teachingnets.0mSee pages 38 - 41 for details.* if Handball is a priority then additional lengthwould be recommended.40.6mModular sports hall approachFebruary Revision 0056 Sport England 2012

Sports HallsDesignGuidance NoteGeneral notes: Unless noted otherwise all sizes include for team / officialszones but DO NOT include for any spectator provision.(64.05 x 40.6x 9.0 m)15 Court hall(60.0 x 34.5 x9.0 m)12 Court hall(40.6 x 42.7 x9.0 m)10 Court hall(40.0 x 34.5 x8.3 m)8 Court hall(40.6 x 21.35x 7.5 m)5 Court hall(34.5 x 20.0 x7.5 m)Sport andlevel of play category**4 Court hallOverview of numbers of courts* / levels of play for nominal hall sizes The number of courts noted for each hall size does not take intoaccount the additional option of inclusion of ‘Show Court’ overlays.Badminton (with 1 dividing net per 4 or 5 court module)International 1Premier 1Club 1Community 14 2 41122422336223361 Excludesofficials zone.a clear height of 9.0 m.is assumed that division nets are excluded.2 Requires3 ItBasketballInternationalPremierClubCommunity 4Reduced court size 54 Excludes5 Excludesteam / officials zone.team / officials zone.Cricket practice / Indoor cricketCommunity 66 Includesallowance for a central 3.4 m wide (minimum) clear zone forbasketball goals within each 4 or 5 court /3P3P11P11P122P12213331333The new hall sizes provide more space for Five-a-side football /Futsal.1111112122211131333The new hall sizes provide more space for Handball.111211111112The new hall sizes provide more space for Indoor Hockey.11211131223The new hall sizes provide more space for tyThe new hall sizes provide more space for all the gymnasticsdisciplines.Five-a-side football / ernationalPremierClubCommunityIndoor hockeyInternationalPremierClubCommunityPPPP1 Unihoc 1 Unihoc 1 12Netball7 A practice area will be required close to the international competition court.International7/80011118 ForInternational and Super League consult with England Netballon space required for tv equipment and anticipated club specificspectator requirements.9Premier0191291310Club1 1119210293113 10112233CommunityThe hall / module width needs to be increased to 23.35 m to allow fora 2.0 m wide team / officials zone which cannot be accommodated inthe standard size hall.10Excludes team / officials zone which must be accommodatedby increasing the hall size and/or by sharing team/official zonesbetween multiple courts.11Where netball is not the primary sport, by agreement, England Netballwill allow club netball to be played in this size hall, with reduced runoffs and no team and official zones.Sports hall bPP2P2P3P3PCommunityPP2P2P3P3PThe new hall sizes provide more space for all the Premier112233Club112233Community 41122334 Excludesteam / officials zone.2P2P4P4P6P6P4 Excludesteam / officials zone.Training courts 4* Indicative court numbers are an update of the previous revision and should be checked against the space requirements for the individual sports to be accommodated.** See Appendix 4 of ‘Developing the Right Sports Hall’ for guidance on the level of play category for each sport.*** P Below space standard for competition play recommended by the governing body, but suitable for practice and training.February Revision 0057 Sport England 2012

Sports HallsDesignGuidance NoteRange of sports and local needActivityThe local need for each sports hall project, for bothnew and refurbishment schemes, may varyconsiderably and needs to be established beforeany designs are developed. Sport England and theNGBs have worked together to produce a standardmethodology for all sports hall projects to enablea clear vision and project brief to be established.Detailed guidance on the methodology and whocan help is available in Sport England’s publication‘Developing the Right Sports Hall’. A summary ofthe 7 steps in the methodology is set out below.Decisions on the size ofthe sports hall and supportaccommodation should bebased on:Hall visits (%)Badminton24.4Keep fit / aerobics / step / yoga23.6Indoor five-a-side football / Futsal18.3Martial arts6.3Carpet / mat / short bowls6.1Gymnastics3.6Basketball2.3Netball2.1Table tennis1.9Dance1.8Trampolining1.8Indoor hockey1.6Tennis / short tennis1.5Roller skating / roller blading1.2Indoor cricket1.00.71SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUES2STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS3TYPE OF ACTIVITY / LEVEL OF PLAYCATEGORYMulti-sports session4HOW MUCH USEVolleyball 0.65DEVELOPING THE PROJECT BRIEF6THE BUSINESS CASEMost popular sports hall activities taken from a Surveyof Sports Halls and Swimming Pools in England - SportEngland (1999)7THE DECISIONOther activities that can be accommodated insports halls include:Racquetball 0.6OthersAll sports hall projects shoulduse the 7 step process todevelop the project brief.February Revision 0058 Archery Boxing Children play Dodgeball Fencing Handball Indoor golf Korfball Roller hockey Tchoukball.0.6 Sport England 2012

Sports HallsDesignGuidance NoteImaginative design can invite attention and focus to thebuilding entranceQualitySports halls are open for long hours, seven days aweek and take heavy wear as a result. It is thereforeimportant to design durable and high qualitybuildings with good, attractive and easilymaintained finishes.For overall participation figures see ‘Active PeopleSurvey’ download (for ‘Sport By Sport Fact Sheet’)available from the Sport England website.With careful management and use of division curtains anumber of activities can be programmed simultaneouslyFebruary Revision 0059 Sport England 2012

Sports HallsDesignGuidance Note2.0 Site selection and planningLocation:The shape and contours of the available site willobviously influence the siting of the sports hall andany important ancillary facilities, such as artificialgrass pitches (AGP) or a group of tennis courts.However, in most instances the proximity of anexisting access road and/or the necessary mainservices will be the main factor affecting itslocation, if unnecessary and expensive sitedevelopment costs are to be avoided. It is essentialthat the site provides:Active design objectivesPlans for the location of new sports halls shouldconsider the objectives set out in the SportEngland publication ‘Active Design’ 9. It containsguidance and information on how sport andopportunities for people to be physically active canbe integrated into planning and developmentprojects. The range of physical and managementmeasures to promote active design objectivesinclude: Improved accessibility Enhanced amenity Increased awareness.Key issues in the site selection process will include: The opportunities for co-location with othercommunity focus points in order to share carparking, access and reception facilities The prioritisation of pedestrian, cycle andpublic transport routes The prominence of the location andopportunities for visual communication /signage to encourage use of the facility.9 See Sufficient space for the proposed facility aswell as space for future expansion Adequate car parking provision, including thepotential for overspill parking Access for service and emergency vehicles.External planningProvision should be made for: Car and coach parking closely related to themain entrance Disabled parking bays with ramped curbs Drop off point adjacent to the entrance Appropriate bench seating along pathways.Sport England publication ‘Active Design’.The entrance should be easy to access, feel safe to all users and be an attractive part of the public realmFebruary Revision 00510 Sport England 2012

Sports Halls Access and adequate turning provision forservice vehicles Secure cycle standing located within sight ofthe office or reception Ramps, if there are changes in ground level,and additional handrailing Well-lit car parks and footpaths for safe accessafter dark Pedestrian routes planned away from areas ofpotential concealment.DesignGuidance NoteExternal appearanceSports halls often use industrial buildingcomponents and, unless carefully designed, can alltoo easily look just like another factory orwarehouse, an impression that should be avoided.By necessity they are large buildings withwindows and require considerable skill inselection of materials, use of colour andgeneral design so that they look attractiveinviting by day and night.In some locations such as on existing school andcollege sites, it may be appropriate to use brickcladding, but this can often lead to a heavy andoppressive character.The location of the building on the site shouldallow space for future expansion when theopportunity exists. The popularity of specificsports and the need for social accommodationmay change over the life of the building and pastexperience shows that sport’s dimensional andsafety requirements can increase along with userexpectations for better equipped and morecomfortable support accommodation.Key design features: Clearly identified entranceA planting scheme can assist in linking the sportshall building to its surroundings and particularly inurban projects can help to create a morewelcoming entrance. Suitably selected shrubplanting will provide a barrier to the building faceand help to deter vandalism and give more privacyto glazed accommodation. All new planting willneed initial barrier protection. Well articulated structure Prominent signage Crisp detailing High quality roof and wallcladding.See Sport England design guidance note ‘CarParking and Landscape Design’.February Revision 005fewthetheand11 Sport England 2012

Sports HallsDesignGuidance NoteNBus stopPotential futureexpansionProminentlypositioned signindicating nameof centre,facilities providedand otherinformationMain entrance givenvisual emphasis andprotection by canopyAssistance dogrest areaSeatCommunityEntranceMain entrancevisible from mainroad / siteboundarySet down pointClear directpedestrianfootpaths withclearly definedcross-overpoints wherevehicle andpedestrianroutes intersectOptimum / block planWell lit car parkwith simplevehicle circulationSeatCoach parkingBicyclesPedestraincrossingLow plantingallowing carparking to beclearly visibleExit for use atpeak timesSchool EntranceMainroadArtificial PitchBus stopNotional site layoutFebruary Revision 00512 Sport England 2012

Sports HallsDesignGuidance Note3.0 Scale of facilityThe scale of the facility and supportaccommodation will depend upon the size of thesports hall and the extent of other activities to beincluded as part of the facility. For instance sportshalls may be combined with swimming pools, icerinks, etc. as part of a larger sports and leisurefacility. The elimination of long, narrow corridors thatmight confuse visitors and impart aninstitutional image Safe and secure access achieved by designand not by reliance on a closed circuittelevision system (CCTV).The circulation pattern should enforce a sequentialprogression through the building:Each project will have its own requirements, butevery freestanding sports hall should have: The entrance foyer and reception Foyer and reception Linked to a social refreshment area Refreshment area Leading on to changing and toilets Changing and toilet accommodation Leading to activity spaces. Facilities for disabled people Office accommodation Integral equipment storageThe need to backtrack should be avoided exceptwhere a conscious decision has been made torearrange accommodation for a specific purpose,such as grouping glazed activity space around thesocial hub of a centre to allow spectator viewing. Hall viewing with seating Provision for first aid Plant room Cleaners store.Servicing and plant room access should be remotefrom the main entrance or arranged on an adjoiningelevation with an internal service route direct tokitchen store or bar cellar or into anyaccommodation that needs to be provisioned forsocial functions. Plant rooms should be located asclose as possible to the most heavily servicedspaces, usually the changing rooms or the deepend of a pool in a wet and dry centre. First aidrooms must have direct or easy access to thebuilding exterior and an ambulance bay should beprovided, remote from the main entrance.This is often expanded to include the followingmodel range of accommodation whichcomplements sports halls of all sizes: Crèche 10 Pram store Club meeting room Fitness and exercise studio/areas Multi-purpose secondary hall Staffroom Physiotherapy treatment room Licensed lounge All-weather external playing area.Sports halls should be planned to provide: A simple, economical and spacious circulationsystem that is clearly intelligible to the userand permits easy supervision10Crèches national standards for under 8s day care andchildminding, Surestart DfE and DWP.February Revision 00513 Sport England 2012

Sports HallsDesignGuidance NoteCB1500Four court hallwith minimumancillaryaccommodation2500In ‘Sportschair areas’ maintaina minimum preferred clear widthof 2500 to allow two sportschairs to passA2000250025001500 turning circleto be maintainedthroughout the facilitySplayed walls at changesin direction will benefitRadiator, hose reels andwheelchair users andso on set into recesses tovisually impaired people maintain corridor width25005000 max1500Minimum corridor width of1500 in non-sportschair areasBDoors that need to swingout into main corridorsshould be 'protected' bybeing set into a recessKey DimensionsA Wherespace hallis tightthe circulationSix courtwithfitnesscanbe dancereduced studiosto 2000 with 2500andpassing places at max 5m apartB Minimum 870 effective clear widthWhere the unobstructed width of a corridor is less than1.8m, they must have passing places at least 1.8m longand with an unobstructed width of at least 1.8m toallow wheelchair users to pass each otherWhere double doors of unequal width are used,the wider doors should all be on the same side of thecorridor and meet the minimum clear width requirementDoors across corridors must have viewing panelsNote: All dimensions are in millimetresInternal circulation diagramInternal circulationC Minimum 1200 effective clear widthAll levels must be capable of beingaccessed by users with disabilitiesvia a lift as even the smallest sportshall with a minimum amount ofsupport accommodation will havea floor area of at least 700 m2.Larger centres will require 2 lifts.Sports wheelchairs require widerdoors, careful consideration isneeded during the design stage toallow sports chairs to access allappropriate areas of the building,including changing rooms, toiletsand social areas.Four court hallwith minimumFour court hallancillarywith minimumaccommodationancillaryaccommodationFour court hallwith minimumancillaryaccommodationSix court hall with fitnessand dance studiosSix court hall with fitnessand dance

o Fitness equipment room o Ancillary halls 5.0 Detailed design of the sports hall 26 General design Access to and from the sports hall Structure Sports floor Internal walls Exterior facades Roof Fittings 6.0 Environmental & sustainability issues 32