University of Worcester

MIXED USE SPORTS FACILITY
CLIENT: UNIVERSITY OF WORCESTER
ARCHITECT: DAVID MORLEY ARCHITECTS
LOCATION: WORCESTER
STAGE: STAGE 2
COMPLETION: 2022

The International Inclusive Cricket Centre is a new build construction situated alongside the University of Worcester’s Arena on Hylton Road. The University appointed David Morley Architects to design the first indoor sports venue specifically aimed at the inclusion of Wheelchair athletes. It aims to provide exclusive indoor net practice facilities for cricket at all levels including all types of disability cricket and expert sports science facilities and teaching areas. The development will include ground plus one upper floor building, with sports halls, changing facilities, reception areas, office spaces, biomechanical labs, back of house areas and storage. Once the Centre opens it is hoped to become the base of all UK national disability cricket squads, including the current blind, deaf learning and physical disability teams.

The University of Worcester Commissioned Cahill Design Consultants to work with the project design team to deliver this project at the end of 2019. CDC are responsible for providing specialist acoustic support and assessment to RIBA Stages 2-5. The project is currently at Stage 2 and the CDC team has developed an acoustic strategy in coordination with the wider design team, that will be carried through the design and construction phases of the development. 

There are no formal acoustic standards for the design of such spaces and the CDC team has undertaken extensive research to establish appropriate design criteria for the building. The teams high level of technical experience has been used to ensure that the spaces will be suitable for all proposed users of the space. Acoustic models were developed to predict the behaviour of sound within the main sports hall and recommendations for finishes were made based upon results of the modelling.

Another unique project for the CDC team, with many challenging design issues to consider. We look forward to working with the design team and Client to deliver this project which has significant social value to sports in the UK.