Synopsis
Alfriston School is a secondary day and boarding school for girls in Buckinghamshire, UK. The project involved the construction of a new 750m2 swimming pool and sports department. The building has a floating timber roof, which houses a four-lane swimming pool and changing areas.
The structural challenges included realising the complex geometries in the roof while maintaining an open soffit. A system of panels was developed using cross-laminated timber boarding fixed to glued laminated beams. The roof panels act as the structural elements spanning the swimming pool and provide stability.
Small-diameter steel columns were designed to act as cantilevers from the reinforced-concrete retaining walls, transferring the vertical and horizontal loads from the roof structure. This method eliminates any cross-bracing and minimises the visual structure, giving the appearance of a floating roof.
The competition project was won in 2008 with Elliott Wood forming part of the winning design team with Duggan Morris Architects.