External shots of Ravelin Building, new sports facility

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An outstanding new sports centre 

We've built a new sports centre for you to play, train, and compete. The building is designed to be one of the UK's most sustainable sports centres and will connect with the historic Ravelin Park in Old Portsmouth.

Students, staff, and local residents are all able to enjoy the facilities, with a range of classes and courses, personal training and very affordable membership with great benefits available. The centre also includes spaces for hire. For more information, visit sport.port.ac.uk.

New sports centre facilities

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Key facts

  • Location: Next to the University Library at the junction of Cambridge Road and Museum Road
  • Size: 11,009 m²
  • Cost: £57 million
  • Architects: FaulknerBrowns

Play, train, and compete

A fly-through tour of our outstanding new sports centre

Recorded during the final stages of the building process, this fly-through tour gives you a glimpse of the facilities within Ravelin Sports Centre.

Video with upbeat music showing facilities available in the University of Portsmouth's new Ravelin Sports Centre. Play, Train, Compete. Your best begins at University of Portsmouth.

Sustainable, award-winning design

Designed to be one of the UK’s most sustainable sports facilities, the building aims to create new standards for sustainability and energy efficiency. The design received an ‘Outstanding’ rating from BREEAM UK, the world’s leading sustainability assessment for buildings.

Our sports centre has also won the Public Sector Project: Design Stage Award at the BREEAM Awards 2020. This is a prestigious award which recognises projects demonstrating the highest level of innovation in terms of sustainability over the previous 12 months.

The design includes features to create renewable energy from the roof solar panels and internal heat recovery systems, re-use the pool water for toilet flushing, manage waste water drainage by creating an urban orchard and have a biodiverse grassed roof with beehives. We have also made improvements to Ravelin Park by adding new pathways.

Sustainability features

  • A compact building form and efficient external envelope, to minimise heat loss
  • Natural and mixed-mode ventilation for free cooling in the summer, alongside integrated ceiling fans in the fitness suite to generate air movement, reducing cooling demands
  • Heating from air source heat pumps and heat recovery using M&E systems to recover all waste heat from cooling systems, waste pool water and warm air extracted by ventilation systems
  • A bio-solar roof with a 1000m2 photovoltaic array, generating 200MWhs of renewable energy per year and reducing demand from the grid by 20% 
  • Automatic system controls for heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting to provide optimum, efficient conditions for all activities, occupancy levels and weather conditions
  • Recycling of pool water for changing facilities
  • Efficient fit out equipment, including display screens, fitness equipment, IT and AV systems 

News

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Ravelin Sports Centre

Award-winning sustainable sports centre scoops another prize

6 March 2024

Award-winning sustainable sports centre scoops another prize
Nadine Smith

Portsmouth student wins at British Rowing Awards

15 February 2024

Portsmouth student wins at British Rowing Awards
Ravelin Sports CentreFor UoP Use Only

University wins another award for its sustainable sports centre

1 December 2023

University wins another award for its sustainable sports centre
Ravelin Sports Centre

University wins international design award for Ravelin Sports Centre

27 October 2023

University wins international design award for Ravelin Sports Centre
Ravelin Opening Photography
UOP Internal Use Only

Ravelin Sports Centre rated A for energy use and carbon emissions

6 October 2023

Ravelin Sports Centre rated A for energy use and carbon emissions

Blogs

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Student Aaron Patel

Ravelin Sports Centre will create a new community

Ravelin Sports Centre will create a new community
Plates of vegan food

Ravelin Sports Centre will be fantastic

Ravelin Sports Centre will be fantastic
Ravelin Sports Centre facade

Ravelin Sports Centre: Why variation in architecture matters

Ravelin Sports Centre: Why variation in architecture matters

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Architects impression of the exterior of the new Student Hub
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Students using the climbing wall at Ravelin Sports Centre
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University of Portsmouth student ambassadors at Fratton Park
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