Construction work has started on a 21,000 sq ft four-storey pavilion for sports organisations on the Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park.
The new pavilion will be the fourth in the university’s SportPark complex, which is home to many of the country's top sports governing bodies and support bodies.
Current tenants include British Swimming, British Wheelchair Basketball, English Netball and the England and Wales Cricket Board.
The new offices are being built to Passivhaus classic accreditation standards to cut CO2 emissions, and are scheduled for completion in the winter of 2022.
It is the first building on the university to be built to Passivhaus standards which will enable occupants to cut their carbon footprint and cut operating costs thanks features such as highly efficient heat pumps, triple-glazed windows which open for natural ventilation, solar shading to avoid overheating in the summer and continuous and well-insulated building fabric to minimise heat loss and heat gain.
Loughborough University is committed to decarbonising its estate to meet the Government’s zero carbon target by 2050 – and plans to have made significant progress towards that goal by 2040.
The SportPark Pavilion 4 will add another 25 per cent of space on top of the current five-storey building, and will directly support 165 jobs with an additional 157 created in the wider economy, encouraging more sports-related organisations and businesses to the region.
The development is one of four key infrastructure projects to be delivered by the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) as part of the Getting Building Fund.
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Projects were chosen based on their impact on the region’s economic growth, both in the short and long-term, and their strategic fit to current economic priorities.
Professor Mike Caine, Loughborough University Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Sport, said: “SportPark is a tremendous asset to the University and wider region – housing, as it does, complementary organisations, working in collaboration with the University, and harnessing the power of sport to benefit communities, locally, nationally, and around the world. SportPark Pavilion 4 will provide the capacity to welcome yet more mission-driven organisations to the University, and to further anchor the region as an internationally important Sports Innovation Hub.
"The SportPark expansion coincides with a growing number of innovation and technology-led sports businesses launching at, or relocating to, LUSEP, attracted to the collaborative environment and access to the University’s world-leading expertise in sports science, engineering, health and well-being, high-performance athlete base, and sports infrastructure.
"LUSEP is already one of the most accessible science parks in the 海角视频, located one mile from Junction 23 of the M1.
“The recently completed £25 million road improvements will ultimately create a further access point, even closer to the M1.
“This is particularly welcome news as LUSEP’s expansion continues, as part of the Loughborough and Leicester Science and Innovation Enterprise Zone.”
Kevin Harris, Chair of the LLEP Board of Directors, said: “We are delighted to see the construction of Pavilion 4 at SportPark commence.
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“Our £6 million Getting Building Fund investment will create a state-of-the-art facility, attracting more sport-related businesses to Leicestershire and generating further jobs in this expanding sector.
"Our sector research shows the sports sector has the potential to deliver £100 million of growth by 2030.
“The low carbon Passivhaus design of the building will make a valuable contribution to reducing CO2 emissions for Leicestershire, too.”
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Nottingham contractor Henry Brothers Midlands has been appointed to build SportPark Pavilion 4.
Managing director Ian Taylor said: “We are excited to continue our successful on-going relationship with Loughborough University – helping to upgrade campus facilities and deliver new projects.
"As a Passivhaus development, SportPark Pavilion 4 builds on Henry Brothers’ growing portfolio of environmentally sound schemes and will be a fantastic addition to LUSEP.”