St Brendan’s College Sports Facilities

ECE Architecture

Brendan’s College Sports Facility delivers year‑round usability, with a contextual, paired‑down design that harmonises with campus buildings while expanding community activity.

A 267m², single‑storey sports building sits at the heart of St Brendan’s Sixth Form College, Bristol. The project enhances year‑round usability through new pitches, hard courts, and landscaped spaces, transforming the grounds into a versatile athletic and community hub.

Inside, the sport building houses a community room, classroom, kitchen, accessible shower and WC, office, and two changing rooms. Outside, a 3G rugby/football pitch with floodlighting and fencing sits alongside four 3G courts, all buffered by thoughtful hard surfacing, landscaping, and on-site parking and cycle facilities. The design uses a restrained palette of metal textures, contrasting with subtle light grey brick, to create a thoughtful dialogue with surrounding buildings.

Key challenges included integrating a new sports facility within an established campus context, ensuring year‑round usability despite weather, and meeting accessibility and multi‑use needs. Solutions combined a dedicated sports shell with robust indoor facilities, durable materials, and flexible spaces that support training, community events, and school activities.

The landscaping strategy extends usable space beyond the built form, weaving the new pitches into a cohesive campus landscape that remains legible and welcoming. Floodlighting and fencing were designed to minimise visual impact while maximising safety and long‑term resilience. The project supports public health objectives and encourages sustained engagement in sport and wellness, aligning with council policies and the college’s broader community outreach.

St Brendan’s College Sports Facility stands as a durable, context‑aware addition that extends activity throughout the year, strengthening campus life and community health while respecting the surrounding built environment.