Our building consultants offer world-class expertise with technical skills covering all aspects of stadia development – from architecturally-ambitious steel structures to expert knowledge of the issues surrounding bowl design and dynamic response.
A bowl structure's arrangement is heavily influenced by the structural solution for the roof but primarily derived to maximise viewing quality. Our designs support form and function, considering efficiency, risks and potential programme constraints. We ensure that the bowl's response to dynamic excitation, particularly in concert mode, meets strict standards of comfort.
Other key design aspects we’ve supported clients with include public safety, sightlines, pitch health, environmental impact, long span structures, services loads and impact on infrastructure, power systems, communications, water supply plus peaks in demand. For retractable roofs, a key issue involves integrating the moving roof system with respect to moving loads, emergency stop, unforeseen obstruction, and roof deflections. We've developed solutions to moving lower tiers to accommodate stage cut outs or to vary the size of the field of play.
Effective sustainable design is clearly paramount to providing optimum financial and environmental performance. Effective reduction of resource use can only be achieved through investigating all alternatives and by undertaking associated life cycle costing analysis to determine where spending will result in the best return on investment. We have experts in whole-life costing enabling us to provide sustainability solutions.
How we add value is demonstrated on these stadia:
Mbombela Stadium, South Africa
SPS terraces
Our expertise in dynamics enabled us to support a client’s alternative solution to standard pre-cast concrete terrace units generally used in stadia – a proprietary lightweight system comprising a sandwich construction of steel plates and polyurethane resin. Its main advantage over concrete is its weight to stiffness ratio where the 75-80% saving in weight, high natural frequency and damping make 12-15m spans achievable with further savings on the supporting structure and foundations.
Adelaide Oval, Australia
We managed design and project delivery for the AU $535 million redevelopment of Adelaide Oval, one of the country’s best-loved sporting venues. Two new spectator stands were built, as well as a plaza and pedestrian bridge crossing the River Torrens.
Royal Artillery Barracks, UK
We were designer for the London 2012 Olympic shooting venues. The three buildings were constructed using rented, modular steel frames clad with 100% recyclable PVC inner and outer skins, enabling them to be fully demounted, relocated and reused post-event. The structures incorporated natural ventilation and lighting, saving energy while meeting the demanding tolerances of air movement required for competition and providing a dramatic spectator experience.
Mosaic Stadium, Canada
With temperatures as low as -35°C during the football season in Regina, our concept design for a CA$250 million open-air 33,000-seat stadium uses an innovative roof to extend the playing season by two months each year. We carried out modelling and simulation of the arena’s internal micro-climate and designed a roof which retains an open-air feeling over the pitch, while increasing temperature inside by up to 20°C.
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