Westminster Lodge

Willmott Dixon's team of leisure centro experts delivered a showpiece facility for St Albans District Council, turning a previous facility making a net loss to one that make a sizable annual income for the council!

Drawing on our experience of building 100 pools in the last decade, our scope to create the new Westminster Lodge included constructing a new car park, CCTV and lighting alongside the main phase to build a 25m, ten lane swimming pool and additional 10m x 17m training pool with wet side changing facilities.

Olympic swimming champion champion Rebecca Adlington interviewed at Westminster Lodge

Further facilities to attract the local community and make it the destination for sports and leisure in the city included a health spa, cafe, climbing wall, fitness suite, dry change areas, a four court sports hall and exercise / multi purpose studios.

The project was further notable as its saw Willmott Dixon team up again with S&P Architects (now AFLS+P), a collaboration that's seen both organisations deliver Northolt Leisure Centre and Corby-East Midlands International Pool.

Built in the shadow of St Albans Abbey

Demolition

Once the new facilty was completed in late 2012, our team then demolished the existing Westminster Lodge to create further car parking by November 2012.

Local approach

Willmott Dixon managing director for the northern Homes Counties Chris Tredget:

“Given our strong links with St Albans, and the fact that our headquarters are in Hertfordshire, we were really proud to have delivered the new Westminster Lodge. It is an exceptional facility right in the centre of St Albans and with many of the project team living locally, they are all avid users!”

The building received a Gold Award in the category for Community Construction Project at the Green Apple Awards 2014 awards, which raise perception of what is possible in terms of sustainable construction in the built environment and architectural heritage sector.

This was the second award for Westminster Lodge, it was also named Most Sustainable Construction in the Herts Building Futures Awards run by Hertfordshire County Council for the Hertfordshire Building Futures Partnership.