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Bam starts work on Scotland’s first Passivhaus leisure centre

16 Jun 23 Building work has started in Perthshire for the new £36m Blairgowrie Recreation Centre, Scotland’s first ultra-low energy swimming pool and leisure centre.

Blairgowrie Recreation Centre should be ready to use in 2025
Blairgowrie Recreation Centre should be ready to use in 2025

Blairgowrie Recreation Centre has been designed by architects Holmes Miller to meet Passivhaus standards.

The building, due for completion by early 2025, will become the first swimming pool and leisure development in Scotland – and only the second in the UK – to achieve Passivhaus certification. (St Sidwell's Point in Exeter, built by Kier, was the first in the UK.)

The Blairgowrie development is being funded by Perth & Kinross Council to replacement the town’s current 41-year old facility. It is being delivered through Hub East Central Scotland, with Bam UK as the main contractor.

With a swimming pool, games hall, sports hall, dance studio, fitness suite, classroom space and external all-weather sports pitch, it will provide sports and physical education facilities for Blairgowrie High School as well as for the local community. 

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The design features exposed wooden beams. Spaces have been orientated to ensure that any heat gain from sunlight will be focused on the pool area, helping to maintain a constant temperature.

Project architect Yida Zhou said: “Perth & Kinross Council have a clear vision of reaching carbon zero, and working on this project has been a brilliant opportunity to help them achieve that, through cutting-edge sustainable design. As Scotland’s first leisure centre designed to Passivhaus standards, hopefully this project will inspire more councils and investors to adopt this approach, given the significant carbon and revenue savings that it makes possible.”

The design team also includes BakerHicks as civil and structural engineer, Rybka for building services and Sussed Sustainability for the Passivhaus design.

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