Strathclyde Watersports Centre

Strathclyde Watersports Centre

Client: North Lanarkshire Council

Status: RIBA Stage 3

Value: £12m

Type: Retrofit & Reconfiguration

Location: Bellshill, Motherwell

Strathclyde Park is one of Scotland’s most-visited outdoor attractions and has played host to the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2018 European Championships. North Lanarkshire Council has been awarded funding to carry out a deep retrofit and extension of the existing Watersports Centre in answer to the council’s recent declaration of a Climate Emergency.

The aim is to establish Strathclyde Park as a world-class sporting venue and a sustainable tourism attraction. The building houses boat sheds and a reception on the ground floor with an expanded cafe & new double height space whilst the first floor contains changing areas; offices for North Lanarkshire Council; offices and crew room for Edinburgh University Rowing Team and flexible units for rent by small local enterprises.

The current RIBA Stage 3 strategy targets Passivhaus EnerPhit levels of fabric efficiency with space heating and hot water demand met by a water source heat pump submerged in the loch. The large flat roof will be utilised for onsite renewable generation (PV panels) to help offset residual demand. Electrification of all energy use within the building coupled with the proposed energy performance targets and low / zero carbon technologies will see a 93% reduction in carbon emissions annually.

A planning application for these works was lodged with North Lanarkshire Council on 11th December 2024.

Structure: Existing Concrete Frame & Glulam Extension

U-Values: Wall 0.10-0.35W/m2k, Roof 0.12W/m2k, Floor 0.21-1.00W/m2k

Air Tightness: 1.0 h-1 @ 50 Pa

Heating: WSHP & MVHR

Form Factor: 2.9

Predicted energy use: 25kWh/m2a, 15W/m2