Project: (4269) Ponteland Schools & Leisure
Client: Northumberland County Council / Active Northumberland
Architect: FaulknerBrowns Architects
Main Contractor: Kier Construction
Aquatic Play: Ustigate Waterplay / Vortex International
Installation: 2020
Challenge:
The schools at Ponteland were cramped with low ceilings and narrow corridors. None of the departments were close together and there was no indoor social space. Kier Construction were awarded the contract to establish a new leisure and education complex as part of a multi-million-pound investment by Northumberland County Council. Completion was required in 2020 which turned out to be one of the most challenging years to date, worldwide. Ustigate were commissioned to design and build a poolside aquatic play scheme inside the new Ponteland Leisure Centre.
Success:
Additional health and safety measures were implemented in 2020 and Ustigate were delighted to complete their aquatic play works in 2020 as planned! It was a pleasure to work with all of the teams involved and to contribute to the new and magnificent facilities at Ponteland Schools & Leisure.
Our poolside aquatic play scheme is an Elevations™ and Splashpad® concept enabling all ages and abilities to access the fun! There are eleven interactive play items at ground level and nineteen interactive play items on board the Elevations™ with activities that include climbing, sliding, spinning and turning. The concept is fuelled by nature and multi-level play items renowned to engage children in group play. At ground level there is a low level Butterfly No.1 with Podspray™ and Turntec™ that children will love turning 360° and a 3.5m high Garden Bug armed with six Seeflow™ tipping buckets. There are two award winning products from our Vortex Explora collection; a Helio No.2 with its spinning and splashing Mega Orb and a Luna Cannon No.1 for lots of aiming and firing fun. To complete the inclusive entertainment at ground level there are five poolside Rooster ground jets offering all pool bathers a welcome splash too. Follow the steps up through the Elevations™ and all visitors will be greeted with deck geysers, a water curtain, spinning flowers, water hoses and two more tipping buckets! There is also a Play Flow No.4 incorporating water channels and weirs to engage little ones in the discovery of water flow. The Ponteland aquatic play colour palette consists of five colours; two shades of green, two shades of blue and one yellow. This wise selection of colours along with the leafy graphics on the Elevations™ panels deliver an essence of our great outdoors, inside. It is a colour combination that represents pastures new encompassed by sky and sunshine. The product mix, colours and theme provide an idyllic environment for everyone to enjoy.
All of the teams worked well together and Kier Construction completed Ponteland Schools & Leisure in 2020. Ponteland now has a state of the art 420-place primary school with open plan breakout areas, a multi-use hall, a 1,600-place secondary school with teaching rooms, support areas, halls, studios, a lecture theatre and a 52-place nursery. To accompany Ponteland’s academic facilities, the new leisure centre and sporting grounds offer everyone a choice of indoor and outdoor pursuits. Ponteland Schools & Leisure is a harmonious balance of work and play all in one place.
