Do your school’s sports facilities need an upgrade?

With lockdown restrictions beginning to ease and the education sector reopening across the UK & Ireland, perhaps now is the time to think about improving your school’s sports facilities and by doing so potentially create some new revenue streams? Or perhaps it is the time to future proof the internal space requirements that may become the new norm.  Either way Rocklyn can deliver practical, bespoke and value for money solutions to these requirements.

Rocklyn, a specialist design and build contractor, with strong engineering roots, has been delivering premium sports structures to the education sector for over 20 years. In 2019, Rocklyn was acquired  by one of the UK and Ireland’s largest construction firms, McLaughlin & Harvey. This relationship has given Rocklyn the platform to further develop its business and offer its state-of-the-art all-purpose fabric structures across an even wider range of sectors.
Within the education sector, Rocklyn’s primary offering involves designing and building Fabric Air Domes and Fabric Sports Structures for Tennis Courts, Multi-Use Sports Halls & Outdoor Areas, Football Pitches and Gyms. Rocklyn – which prides itself in exemplary levels of quality and client service – has delivered projects of this nature for Universities, Colleges and Schools across the public and private sector in the UK and Ireland.
Rocklyn’s Air Domes are a cost effective, fast-track alternative to traditional buildings and enable year-round usage of artificial playing surfaces. With a life expectancy exceeding 20 years, they can be designed for an all year-round, or purely seasonal basis. With a wide range of options these lightweight, versatile structures combine speed of assembly / disassembly with the strength, safety, and finish of a permanent building. They may also include optional items such as heaters, insulation, back-up generators and specialised lighting controls.

The futuristic-looking Air Domes can be used for football, tennis, basketball, swimming pools, golf ranges, indoor hockey or even beach volleyball and they have many unique advantages including a patented ‘pressure-frame’ which provides a complete seal at the base of the structure. Other benefits include, efficient internal lighting system, ability to withstand extreme weather conditions, a coloured ‘hitting’ background and excellent acoustics.
Rocklyn’s other product range of framed fabric Sport Structures are also designed to provide protection from the elements, so sports can be played all year round. Rocklyn uses the industry leading Veldeman system and offers bespoke solutions which meet specific customer needs, including lighting, heating, and insulation. Rocklyn sports structures can be erected over new or existing facilities.
One of the key selling points of the sports structures and indoor training facilities are the retractable or removable side walls, which create an open atmosphere during the summer whilst protecting against rain and overheating. The upper walls and translucent roof also provide a great glare-free light quality, which creates a perfectly, naturally lit playing area. Bespoke LED lighting designs can be used to replicate this once night falls. As a result, savings can be made on lighting costs. Furthermore, these sports structures can also be insulated to meet the necessary legislation requirements, thereby allowing for savings on heating costs too.
What about the best of both worlds?  If your school already has all weather facilities or is considering new ones, recent history has taught that you can’t have too much internal space. Adaptable spaces can be designed that have the flexibility to change from sports facilities to exam halls or between assembly halls and vaccination centres.
Rocklyn is passionate about delivering sports structures of the highest quality and believe in its importance for young people. Rocklyn has completed a host of high profile projects within the education sector at prestigious locations such as, Ellesmere College in Shropshire, Sanford Power, Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh, and Our Lady’s Grammar School in Newry.

If you would like to explore how Rocklyn can help you deliver your next sports project, contact Ben Stephenson on 07841 802636 or ben.stephenson@rocklyn.co.uk

www.rocklyn.co.uk