Wokingham Leisure Centre & Library @ Carnival Hub

The multi-million-pound Carnival Hub community complex forms a significant part of the Wokingham town centre regeneration vision to meet the evolving needs and preferences of residents and visitors. The heart of the site, which replaces an ageing 1990s building that required constant repair, brings together an outstanding new flagship leisure facility, a new library, and multi-use halls anticipated to increase the community’s involvement in cultural activities. 

 

Transforming the previously dark, oppressive and out-of-date atmosphere, the new leisure centre offers an appealing, light and airy space that is accessible to all. It features a six-lane 25m pool – with raised spectator seating along its entire length – as well as a teaching pool with a moveable depth floor and a children’s splash pad with fountains and water jets. Designed in line with Sport England standards, the pools represent a transformational upgrade for both the local community and Wokingham’s swimming training and competition facilities. 

 

Barrie Beard worked closely with Wokingham Borough Council and Pellikaan to help support its ambitions to reduce carbon emissions, maximise energy efficiency and lower operating costs. Additional revisions included new air source heat pumps and over 800 solar panels, creating one of the UK’s most energy-efficient leisure centres and driving vastly improved performance across the site, which has achieved massive carbon reductions of 75% on the previous build, surpassing government targets. 

 

As well as an efficient design, the actual in-use performance of the building is reviewed using the data collected by the Building Monitoring System (BMS). This system provides monthly updates on the building energy usage and provides live carbon emissions. Thus, encouraging carbon emissions as a building performance metric for the operators and other stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of the building. 

 

Wokingham Leisure Centre & Library @ Carnival Hub has been recognised as a finalist at this year's Thames Valley Property Awards.