Eton College appointed us to deliver the refurbishment and extension of the Rackets Building to create a new club space, new changing rooms and wholesale refurbishment and improvement of the facility for Rackets as well as renovation of the Jacks Building located between their Fives courts as a new clubhouse for Fives. We also carried out alterations and upgrading of the 16 Fives courts.
The project provides a new clubhouse and changing facilities for both sports to provide professional coach rooms, player facilities, gallery viewing, DDA access to upper floors, repairs to the envelope and new mechanical and electrical services targeting improved building performance and carbon reduction. The Fives courts benefit from altered roof overhangs and replacement glass roofs, all incorporating new lighting.
The project is the first significant phase of a wider development comprising multiple new build sports assets situated in different locations within the Eton College grounds, which, in turn, are located within Green Belt land and the Eton Conservation area.
Work on the Rackets building, Jacks and the Fives courts commenced simultaneously with phased handover of the different parts of the project, the last to be completed being the Rackets building which was the most complex. Rackets work commenced with demolition taking away part of the roof whilst retaining the external wall given a key feature was to open viewing onto one of the two courts to remove a column and arches which limited viewing to the main playing court. This involved complex temporary works to ensure stability of the existing structure.
The existing Rackets Building was also extended with a new English bond imperial gauge brickwork with a slate roof all to match the existing building. As part of the circulation links for the overall scheme we have constructed the new glazed link building, known as North Gallery, forming a connection between the refurbished Fives courts and the first fifteen rugby pitch as a further extension to Rackets and the future development of indoor sports facilities.
The existing Jacks building was refurbished as a Clubhouse for Fives to provide player and coaching facilities on two floors, with changing and clubroom spaces. This lovely building dating from the late 1800’s had a balcony space unto the Fives alley, and this was the key external feature of the refurbishment, retaining the existing, but adding behind it a glass balustrade to bring guarding on the space up to today’s standards. The extensive structural support required is all concealed. Works also included the repositioning of the internal stairs, provision of a DDA lift long with new M&E services. There are also new kitchens on each level consisting of units and fittings.
The upgrade of the existing 16 Fives courts was carried out in two phases always maintaining eight playing courts. The most significant part of the works was the replacement of the roof glazing to the courts with alteration of the eaves overhang to provide greater clearance at the back of each court. Existing steelwork was all grit blasted back to bare metal and re-decorated and protected. The existing lamp casings were retained and refurbished and re-lamped with modern LED lighting.
Our sister company, Francis Joinery provided all the new joinery for the Jacks Building and assisted construction on the Rackets extension constructing the arch centring. As we reached completion of works in the Rackets building, they undertook some of the key joinery work on the viewing galleries and the North Gallery link.
The project was awarded after a second stage negotiation which highlighted some financial challenges. We contributed to the process of challenge on costs looking at alternative structural solutions, finishes and M&E specification, some of which were accepted by the client team.
The project completed in July 2024.
