Big buildings line up to compete for key Award

Three of the biggest new buildings created in the county in the past 12 months are competing in the Large Non-Residential category of the 2016 ProCon Leicestershire property and construction awards.

Two of the buildings are home to sports – in Hinckley and Leicester. The third contender was designed for medical study at the University of Leicester.

The category, sponsored by Edward Cooper Young Chartered Surveyors, is one of six in this year’s ProCon Awards.

The ProCon Awards’ overall sponsors are Westleigh Partnerships, Salus Approved Inspectors, Spearing Waite and Unique Window Systems. The Leicester Mercury is the Awards’ media partner.

The Large Non-Residential Scheme of the Year finalists are:

Hinckley Leisure Centre, submitted by Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council

Hinckley’s new Leisure Centre was created to inspire the town’s people to enjoy and benefit from physical activity.

Built on the site of the Council’s former offices in the heart of the town centre, Hinckley Leisure Centre opened on time and on budget and has a life expectancy of more than 40 years.

Includes a fitness suite, an eight court sports hall, eight-lane 25 metre swimming pool and a community pool – both with moveable floors. There is also sauna and steam rooms, group exercise studios and a cycling studio.

Leicester Riders Arena, submitted by Clague

The 2,400-seat Arena is the new home of the Leicester Riders and Leicester Cobras Wheelchair Basketball Club.

Also a regional basketball centre of excellence, the Arena was created by a partnership including the Riders, Leicester College, Leicester City Council and Sport England. It will serve as Leicester College’s sport teaching and learning facility.

The multi-use sports venue, fully accessible by wheelchair users, is also for the local community to access its 15 badminton courts, four changing rooms and a fitness facility.

University of Leicester Centre for Medicine, submitted by Willmott Dixon Construction

The £42m Centre for Medicine at the University of Leicester is the UK’s largest non-residential project built and certified to the Passivhaus ultra-low energy consumption standard.

The Centre for Medicine is a striking, modern building that offers state of the art facilities for its users. Two atriums, roof lights, full height glazing and narrow floor plates in the towers enable substantial natural lighting.

Highly intelligent building management systems automatically raise and lower the external blinds to ensure a comfortable environment.

Ashley Cooper, senior partner at Edward Cooper Young Chartered Surveyors, said: “It is wonderful to see such a great collection of projects as finalists.

“They demonstrate that organisations across Leicestershire are investing in landmark buildings which improve the built environment for students, businesses and the public to use and enjoy. We are very pleased to be sponsoring the ProCon Awards which celebrate their achievements.”

The winner will be announced at a November ceremony at Leicester’s King Power Stadium.

The other five awards are:

• Regeneration Project of the Year, sponsored by Cambridge & Counties Bank
• Small Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Infrastructure Investments
• Large Residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Infrastructure Investments
• Small Non-residential Scheme of the Year, sponsored by Edward Cooper Young Chartered Surveyors
• Sustainable Development of the Year, sponsored by EME Installations