Graham Sports Centre
A landmark facility that sets national standards in training, performance and inclusive sport
Services (7)
Sectors
Location
Durham, United Kingdom
Client
Durham University
Architect
SPACE
A 1,600m² (17,000ft ²) extension and refurbishment to the university’s sports building has created enhanced facilities for students, staff and the wider community. The scheme includes the UK’s third indoor powered rowing tank and the nation’s only world‑class fencing facility with dedicated competition and practice pistes. Additional features include an expanded sports hall for indoor cricket, a performance analysis suite, physiotherapy rooms, a dance studio, an x‑bike room, and a 28‑station rowing Ergo gallery. A new boathouse and river access steps were also delivered as part of the project.
The site was prone to flooding, therefore, the boathouse design incorporated flood-resilient measures, while the river access steps were designed to withstand natural forces through slope stability analysis and detailed engineering. These measures mitigated environmental concerns, in particular flooding and pollution.
Duncan Cox, Partner, commented: “The tank design required advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling to optimise the flow channels. This modelling allowed the channel geometry to be refined to minimise turbulence and pumping energy while maximising water velocity. Translating the digital model into the final concrete profiles delivered a more efficient system with lower operational carbon and an improved user experience."
Through innovative, resilient design, we transformed a challenging riverside site into a high‑performance sporting hub, contributing to the university’s wider ambitions for excellence in sport and wellbeing.
