In July of this year, work commenced on the latest building development project at Aldwickbury, our new Sports Hall.

Following the successful construction project of The Chidell Hall five years ago, we once again commissioned local architect Mark Eddison from MEB Design Ltd and GPF Lewis Contractors to design and build our new facility. After a protracted design and planning process due to Covid-19, the construction team led by Project Manager Richard Wright started on site in the summer holidays.

The gymnasium that had served the school well for 50 years was demolished over the summer to make way for a new modern purpose-built sports hall. By contrast to the gymnasium that opened in 1971 at a cost of £16,000, the new facility will cost £3.8M.

Due for completion in September 2022, the building will provide a modern indoor sports complex to complement the school’s existing facilities and extensive outdoor sports grounds. Features of the sports centre include a multi-use games area, climbing wall, 3 cricket practice lanes, 3 badminton courts, a basketball court, an interactive smart board for lessons, modern changing rooms and a viewing platform.

With sustainability embedded in its design, the building will feature a number of green credentials, including solar panels, an air source heat pump, LED lighting and a specialist water filter to enable run-off to be filtered and recycled. On completion, the building will conform to 2050 government regulations for sustainable buildings achieving net-zero carbon emissions. The future-proofed specification will in fact enable the building to start paying for itself within 5-years.

We’re looking forward to the boys and the wider Harpenden community being able to use this fantastic new facility next academic year and the continued development of our school’s outstanding facilities.

To follow the progress of the construction of the Sports Hall please visit our dedicated website page; Aldwickbury Sports Hall or follow progress updates on our Instagram stories.