Leisure Centres - Cost model, May 1995 | Features

Typical Design Criteria for Sports Facilities
Facility	Plan m²	Depth m	Height m	Temperature air (water)	Lighting lux	Notes
WET
Leisure Pool	335 pwa	0-2	9	30 (29)	200-300	Ratio of pool water area (pwa) to gross floor area (gfa) 1:4.6. Maximum floor gradient 1:15 to depth of 1.7m. 9m high for internal slides
Traditional 25m pool	25 x 13	01-Feb	6	28 (27)	200-300	Pwa to gfa ratio 1:3.7. Typical density 1 person/2.5m2 (pwa)
Learning pool	10 x 5	0.6-0.9	4	30 (29)	200-300	Recommended sizes: 13, 16.7, or 20 x 7.5m
DRY
Medium sports hall (1000 - 2000 m2	37 x 33 (eight badminton courts)	-	- 7.6 (L)	14-18	300 (L)	Minimum heights and lighting levels vary for leisure (L), club/county (C), and national/international competition (N) standards. Basketball court 26 ± 2 x 14 ± 1m. Large storage area required
		-	- 9.1 (C)	20 for	500 (C)
		-	- 9.1 (N)	social use	750 (N)
Ancillary hall (bowls)	40 x 30 (five greens)	-	7	18-20	300 (L)	Greens 36.5 x 4.57 m with roll-down carpets. Hall also used roller skating
					500 (C)
					500 (N)
Squash courts	187	-	5.64	14-18	500-750	Clubs base use on 100-125 members per court. Each court is 9.75 x 6.4m
Health suite (sauna/spa etc)	29 x 10	-	2.7	28-30	150	Separate extract system may be required for sunbeds
Fitness suite (gymnasium / weights)	14 x 10	-	2.7	Dec-18	500	Typical weight training area is 15 x 7.5m. Eight to 10 air changes an hour essential
Changing / toilet areas	17 x 12 + 8 x 7	-	2.7	20-22 (dry)	150	Changing facilities based on: court use x 2 for overlapping changing; ancillary halls, 1 per 5-10m2 x 2 for overlap; other activity rooms, 1 per 5m2 x 2 for overlap; traditional pools, 1 per 8m2 pwa; leisure pool, 1 per 6m2 pwa; showers, 1 per 7 changing places; benches, 500mm per changing place; WCs and urinals, 1 per 7 (dry) or 1 per 10 (wet) persons; handbasins, 1 per 15 persons
				22-25 (wet)

Net to gross areas for different sports facilities
Facility	Sports area		Surround area		Changing/ toilets		Storage / plant		Circulation / ancillary		Total
	m2	%	m2	%	m2	%	m2	%	m2	%	m2	%
Leisure pool	335 pwa	21.7	445	28.8	115	7.5	255 + 100*	23	100 + 195*	19.1	1545	100
Traditional 25m pool	325 pwa	26.6	290	23.7	86	7	177 + 100*	22.6	56 + 190*	20.1	1224	100
Learning pool	50 pwa	30.1	77	46.4	29	17.5	10	6	-	-	166	100
Sports hall	654	33	560	28.2	200	10.1	166 + 120*	14.4	20 + 265*	16.1	1710	100
Bowls hall	838	49	256	15	76	4.5	140 + 125*	15.5	150 + 125*	25.3	304	100
Squash courts (3 nr)	187	61.5	20 (viewing)	6.6	-	-	20	6.6	53 + 24*	25.3	304	100
Health / fitness	440	77.7	-	-	24	4.2	36	6.4	30 + 36*	11.7	566	100
Totals	2829	3737	1648	22	530	7.1	1249	16.7	1244	16.6	7500	100
*General administration, plant and reception areas have been allocated to specific facility areas to make the facility cost breakdown table easier to understand by grouping specific facilities together.
pwa = pool water area

Cost model
	element cost (£)	£/m2 gifa	% of total cost
LEISURE POOL 1250m2
Substructure	177 500	142	9.16
Pad foundations with ground beams and reinforced concrete slab on good ground		1125 m2 @	£130
Sunken plant room		125 m2 @	£130
Frame	175 000	140	9.03
Portal steel frame 25m span over pool areas including protection and cladding rails		1125 m2 @	£120
Structural steel support for water slides		allow	£40 000
Upper floors	5 500	4.4	0.8
Aluminium perforated intermediate floor decking in plant room		50 m2 @	£110
High-level spectators' gallery included elsewhere		500 m2 @	£5
Roof	120 100	96.08	6.2
Rooflight over pool		16 m2 @	£475
High-performance insulated composite metal roof cladding		1250 m2 @	£100
Stairs	25 000	20	1.29
Access stair in pool for water ride starts		1 nr @	£20 000
SUndry plant stairs and ladders,		allow	£5,000
External walls	30 000	24	1.55
Ibstock facing bricks and blockwork cavity wall to 3m including brick and block specials		200 m2 @	£70
High-performance insulated composite metal wall cladding above 3m		400 m2 @	£40
Windows and external doors	20 000	16	1.03
Glazed aluminium curtain walling/windows		38 m2 @	£275
Powder-coated aluminium glazed screens and doors		10 m2 @	£500
Metal door sets (2 nr double; 1 nr single)		allow	£4,550
Internal walls and partitions	29 800	23.84	1.54
Block internal walls		400 m2 @	£25
Gyproc jumbo partition		10 m2 @	£60
Powder-coated aluminium single-glazed screens		6 m2 @	£200
Powder-coated aluminium glazed half-hour fire-resistant screens		45 m2 @	£400
Balustrades to galleries included elsewhere		jkl;j	j;j
WC cubicles etc are integrated units included with sanitary fittings		j;j	j;jk
Internal doors	18 200	14.56	0.94
Leaderflush door sets with laminated plastic veneered doors and Acrovyn finished linings		12 nr @	£650
Powder-coated aluminium glazed half-hour fire-resistant doors/screens		20 m2 @	£520
Wall finishes	73 400	58.72	3.79
Lightweight plaster		200 m2 @	£6
Insulated metal liner sheet		800 m2 @	£25
Waterproof render to pool areas		300 m2 @	£20
Wall render elsewhere		580 m2 @	£5
Emulsion paint		200 m2 @	£2
Portaflek paint to change areas		180 m2 @	£5
Ceramic tiles to straight and curved pool sides etc		700 m2 @	£60
Floor finishes	97 150	77.72	5.01
Ceramic tiles and skirtings to floors, steps etc		1110 m2 @	£70
Two coats of epoxy paint on floors in plant rooms etc		140 m2 @	£5
Screeds and movement joints		1250 m2 @	£15
Fittings and furnishings	223 500	178.8	11.54
Water slides installations		allow	£135 000
Lockers		250 nr @	£110
Changing cubicles		20 nr @	£1,600
Pool hall fittings		allow	£14 000
Internal planting (artificial)		allow	£15 000
Services	10 250	8.2	0.53
Sanitary appliances		k;l'k	jk'k'
Twyfords sanitaryware with Spectrum 2000 integrated plumbing system panels and cubicles; 10 nr wash-hand basins in vanity units; 2 nr cleaners' sinks; 1 nr disposal sink; 2 nr urinal bowls; 9 nr WC suites and miscellaneous fittings		454	465444
Services equipment	2500	2	0.13
6 nr catering sinks for kitchen area		allow	£2,500
Disposal installations	22 500	18	1.16
Aluminium rainwater pipes; plastic above-ground drainage; clayware and cast iron below-ground drainage; perforated plastic land drainage ring around pool areas basement tank		1250 m2 @	£18
Water installations	25 000	20	1.29
Hot and cold domestic water installation		1250 m2 @	£20
Heat source	50 000	40	2.58
4 nr stacked pairs of gas-fired boilers with flues, pumps and controls		1250 m2 @	£40
Space heating and air treatment	200 000	160	10.32
Air-handling units for pool area, management suite, wet changing area etc, ductwork and insulation; grilles, diffusers and attenuators		1250 m2 @	£160
Electrical installations	81 250	65	4.19
LV distribution and power including cabletray and trunking		1250 m2 @	£30
Electric lighting and luminaires		1250 m2 @	£35
Gas	1 500	1.2	0.08
Gas carcassing pipework		456456	465465
Protective installations	7 500	6	0.39
Fire alarm installation		1250 m2 @	£5
Lighting protection system		1250 m2 @	£1
Communication installations	14 350	11.48	0.74
Telephone and conduit/trunking installation		1250 m2 @	£1
Public address system		1250 m2 @	£8
Security system		1250 m2 @	£3
Special installations	260 000	208	13.42
Two filter filtration ozone water treatment		allow	£195 000
Wave machine		allow	£35 000
Other water features including rapids channel, 3 base air geysers, bubble ring, spa jet system, 2 water cannon, beach geysers to beach and kiddies areas and pumping systems for water slides		allow	£30 000
Builders work in connection with services	15 000	12	0.78
Preliminaries and contingencies	252 500	202	13.03
Contractor's management and staff, site accommodation and other prelminary items		allow	10%
Design and contingency allowance		say	5%
Total for leisure pool	1 937 500	1 550.00	100

	element cost (£)	£/m2 gifa	% of total cost
SPORTS HALL 1400 m2
(excluding adjoining changing/toilet facilities)
Substructure	91 000	65	11.82
Pad foundations with ground beams and reinforced concrete category 1 levelled slab on good ground		1400 m2 @	£65

Frame	159 125	113.66	20.67
Structural steel frame with roof trusses		1400 m2 @	£80
One-hour intumescent fire protection on steelwork		1450 m2 @	£32.50
Upper floors	-	-	-
First-floor-level spectators' gallery included elsewhere		7 900 m2 @	£3.50
Roof	98 000	70	12.73
Insulated composite metal roofcladding		1400 m2 @	£70
External walls	42 700	30.5	5.55
Ibstock facing bricks and blockwork cavity wall to 3 m including brick and block specials		140 m2 @	£65
Insulated composite metal wall cladding and blockwork above 3m		560 m2 @	£60
Windows and external doors	7 000	5	0.91
External high-level ventilation grilles		20 m2 @	£200
Metal door sets (2 nr double)		allow	£3,000
Internal walls and partitions	25 000	17.86	3.25
Block internal walls		1000 m2 @	£25
Internal doors	20 700	14.78	2.69
Leaderflush one-hour fire-resistant double door sets with laminated plastice veneered doors and Acrovyn finished linings		4 nr @	£1,300
Ditto - as sliding/folding doors to storage area		2 nr @	£2,000
Metal door set to delivery area		allow	£4,000
Roller shutter doors to storage area		25 m2 @	£300
Wall finishes	3 900	2.78	0.5
Eggshell paint to fair-faced block		1300 m2 @	£3
Floor finishes	49 550	35.39	6.43
Sports hall semi-sprung maple floor and three coats of seal		1220 m2 @	£40
Two coats of epoxy paint on floors in plant rooms etc		150 m2 @	£5
Fittings and furnishings	40 740	29.1	5.29
Bleacher seating benches (5 units)		334 m @	£110
Signage, lines and sundries		allow	£4,000
Sanitary appliances and water installations	-	-	-
See facility cost breakdown for adjoining 200m2 corridor changing rooms and toilet area		Item @	£767 000
Disposal installations	7 000	5	0.91
Aluminium rainwater pipes		1400 m2 @	£5
Heat source	20 000	14.29	2.6
3 nr shared and stacked gas-fired boilers with flues, pumps and controls		allow	£20 000
Space heating and air treatment	14 000	10	1.82
8 nr radiant gas heaters in sports hall		1400 m2 @	£10
Electrical installations	63 000	45	8.18
LV distribution and power including cable tray and trunking		1400 m2 @	£20
Electric lighting and luminaires		1400 m2 @	£25
Protective installations	7 485	5.35	0.97
Fire alarm installation		1400 m2 @	£4.35
Lightning protection system		1400 m2 @	£1
Communication installations	13 300	9.5	1.73
Telephone and conduit/trunking installation		1400 m2 @	£0.50
Public address system		1400 m2 @	£7
Security system		1400 m2 @	£2
Builders' work in connection with services	7 500	5.36	0.97
Preliminaries and contingencies	100 000	71.43	12.98
Preliminaries		allow	10%
Design and contingency allowance		say	5%
Subtotal for sports hall	770 000	550	100
Adjoining toilet and changing facilities	190 000	950	-
Total for sports hall (1600 m2 )	960 000	600	-

Total for whole scheme (see facility cost breakdown)	6 600 000	880	-

External works (equivalent to plus 8.6%)	770 000	550	100

Site works	247 500	33	-
Footpaths and pavings, coated macadam, Marshall Keyblocks and pastel paving slabs		1000 m2 @	£35
Car parks and road areas, coated macadam and Marshall Keyblocks cost		6500 m2 @	£25
Landscaping, seeding, turfing and planting		allow	£50 000
Drainage	165 000	22	-
Internal drainage		7500 m2 @	£17.50
Surface water drainage to paved areas		7500 m2 @	£4.50
External services	75 000	10	-
Gas water and electricity mains and trenches for services, external lighting installations including trenches. External lighting installations including trenches		allow	£75 000
Minor building works	7 500	1	-
Electricity substation and gas meter housing		allow	£7,500
Preliminaries and contingencies	75 000	10	-

TOTAL OVERALL CONSTRUCTION COST	7 170 000	956	-

Alternative element specifications
	Net extra / (saving) £/m2 gifa
Combined reinforced concrete basement tank around three pools to spread load over ground - 2025 m2 @ £165-185	15-30
Reinforced concrete ring beams and cfa piles with prestressed concrete slab over poor ground to sports and bowl halls - 2760 m2 @ £80-100	Oct-30
Frame and roof
Centrally masted pitched structural steel frame over pool areas incorporating cellular roof rafters and high-performance insulated composite roof cladding (partially offset by reduced external wall height) - 2025 m2 @ £250-275	45-65
External walls
Pilkington Planar double-glazed curtain walling system to from foyer wall - 160 m2 @ £300-350	65-80
Floor finishes
Green roll-up bowls carpet including lightweight attached backing - 1100 m2 @ £15-20	(2-5)
Green needlepunch bowls carpet including underlay, markings and fixing - 1100 m2 @ £20-25	-
2 mm slip-resistant vinyl cushioned flooring with heat welded joint to changing rooms - 260m2 @ £15-20	(40-45)
6.2 mm vinyl multipurpose flooring, toally adhered with heat welded joints for badminton use - 1220 m2 @ £25-30	(8-13)
6 mm embossed and spike-resistant vinyl sheet with heat welded joints for cricket or tennis - 1220 m2 @ £30-35	(4-8)
Semi-sprung Junkers beech strip flooring and 3 coats of seal - 1220 m2 @ £37-42	(3)-2
10 mm Granwood flooring and 3 coats of seal - 1220 m2 @ £40-45	0-4
First-grade semi-sprung maple flooring to squash courts - 208 m2 @ £42-45	-
10 mm Granwood semi-sprung flooring and 3 coats of seal - 1220 m2 @ £50-55	08-Dec
Fully sprung Junkers prime beech strip flooring and 3 coats of seal - 1220 m2 @ £50-55	08-Dec
14 mm Purlastic SP spike-resistant seamless polyurethane flooring on rubber underlay - overally thickness 70 mm - 1220 m2 @ £55-65	Dec-20
Polydor full impact absorbing aerobatic vinyl, polyurethane and foam floor - overall thickness 40 mm - 1220 m2 @ £65-70	20-30
Special installations
Cholorine water treatment to 25 x 13 m traditional pool - allow £120 000 - 130 000	-
Ozone water treatment to 25 x 13 m traditional pool - allow £180 000 - 200 000	55-75
Stand-alone ozone water treatment to health suite spa - allow £50 000	-
7.5 m long x 13 mm thick movable floor for traditional pool including hydraulics, electrics etc - allow £120 000 - 130 000	110-120
13 m telescopic retractable boom to separate movable and rigid floor swimming areas, allow £60 000 - 65 000	55-60

Facility areas costs
	Leisure pool inc. changing	25m trad plus learner pool inc. changing	Sports hall no changing	Adjacent and other toilet / changing	Gallery walkway / viewing areas	Bowls hall including changing	Squash courts (3 nr)	Health suite - sauna and spa	Gym / weight training / high tech	Reception / admin	Common plant
	(1250 m2)	(1100 m2)	(1400 m2 )	(260 m2)	(290 m2)	(1460 m2)	(260 m2)	(260 m2)	(140 m2)	(590 m2)	(500 m2)
	£/m2	£/m2	£/m2	£/m2	£/m2	£/m2	£/m2	£/m2	£/m2	£/m2	£/m2
Substructure
Group elemental total	142	110	65	46	-	65	60	-	-	44	-
Superstructure
Frame	140	100	113.66	50	125	75	50	50	52	50	60
Upper floors	4.4	5	-	5	30	2	-	20	25	5	30
Roof	96.08	100	70	45	57	58	60	60	60	75	3
Stairs	20	2	-	-	40	-	-	-	-	31	24
External walls	24	28	30.5	15	-	30	53	30	7	20	-
Windows and external doors	16	25	5	10	-	6	7	11	4	33	-
Internal walls and partitions	23.84	10	17.86	28	108	6	40	36	26	67	17
Internal doors	14.56	8	14.78	25	22	9	13	46	28	78	20
Group elemental total	338.88	278	251.8	178	382	186	223	253	202	359	154
Internal finishes
Wall finishes	58.72	60	2.78	70	7	22	55	128	14	36	-
Floor finishes	77.72	75	35.39	60	52	23	30	88	30	70	5
Ceiling finishes	-	8	-	10	-	1	-	34	32	34	-
Group elemental total	136.44	143	38.17	140	59	46	85	250	76	140	5
Fittings and furnishings
Group elemental total	178.8	80	29.1	130	-	25	2	230	78	97	-
Services
Sanitary appliances	8.2	10	-	80	-	10	-	75	-	43	-
Services equipment	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	4	-
Disposal installations	18	18	5	50	-	2	-	40	-	5	-
Water installations	20	15	-	70	-	5	-	60	-	14	-
Heat source	40	40	14.29	8	-	8	8	24	7	9	-
Space heating and air treatment	160	160	10	75	60	50	57	100	70	100	-
Electrical installations	65	66	45	30	16	25	23	40	33	55	8
Gas installations	1.2	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3	-
Lift installations	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	45	-
Protective installations	6	6	5.35	-	-	1	-	-	-	-	-
Communication installations	11.48	12	9.5	6	-	8	8	12	7	10	-
Special installations	208	180	-	-	4	-	-	120	-	-	-
Builders' work in connection with services	12	10	5.36	13	-	4	4	13	5	7	7
Group elemental total	551.88	519	94.5	332	80	113	100	484	122	295	15
BUILDING SUBTOTAL	1 348.00	1 130.00	478.57	826	521	435	470	1 217.00	478	935	174
Preliminaries - allow 10%	134.7	113	47.62	82.6	52	43.5	47	122	48	94	17
Design and contingency - allow 5%	67.3	57	23.81	41.4	27	21.5	23	61	24	46	9
Building cost (excluding external works)	1 550.00	1 300.00	550	950	600	500	540	1 400.00	550	1 075.00	200
Functional unit	335 m2 pwa*	375 m2 pwa*	654 m2 net	-	-	838 m2 net	187 m2 net	-	-	-	-
Functional unit cost £	5 782.00	3 813.00	1 468.00	-	-	871	750	-	-	-	-
Sports equipment	14	22	38	-	-	6	0.5	120	700	-	-
Kitchen and catering equipment	40	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	80	-
Furniture and general equipment	6	6	6	-	-	6	6	6	6	200	-
Cleaning equipment	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Maintenance equipment	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
Building cost (separate buildings) £	1 650.00	1 400.00	650	-	-	525	575	-	-	-	-
AVERAGE COST RANGE £/m2	1000 - 1800	900 - 1600	400 - 800	250 - 1800	500- 700	300-0600	430 - 650	1100 - 1500	300 - 0800	900 - 1100	200 - 400
RANGE OF AREAS m2	1000 - 3500	730 - 2300	1000 - 1900	-	-	1300 - 3500	160 - 1760	-	150 - 2400	-	-
AVERAGE AREA m2	1700	1400	1400	-	-	2100	600	-	780	-	-
*pwa = pool water area

Regional variations
All costs in this article are based on a scheme in the South-East and should be adjusted by the following location factors for schemes in other regions:
Inner London	1.2
Outer London	1.06
East Anglia	0.98
East Midlands	0.96
Northern	0.98
Northern Ireland	0.84
North-west	1.02
Scotland	1.04
South-east	1
South-west	0.98
Wales	0.96
Yorkshire and Humberside	0.98