Nor-Ray-Vac in the running at Sutton Arena

The prestigious new sports facility at Sutton in Surrey is a flagship for Sport England. In line with Sport England recommendations, the Nor-Ray-Vac continuous radiant tube heating has been installed to maintain, even heat coverage and constant comfort temperatures for athletes and spectators in the main indoor athletics track and sports hall areas.

The £4.8m Sutton Arena is a purpose-built athletics and leisure complex, with adjoining external track and field facilities, for use by the public, schools, community groups and sports clubs. It is a regional centre of excellence for athletics training and competition, and a national centre for pole vaulting and hammer throwing.

Designed and built on behalf of Sutton Council by architects Construction and Property Consultancy and builders R Durtnell and Sons Ltd, the building was part-funded by a Sport England lottery grant and Single Regeneration Budget funding.

The unusual design incorporates a cantilevered sprint track at mezzanine level, with an indoor athletics area at ground floor. A spectator gallery with tiered seating allows viewing of the external track and field events, and an eye-level view of pole vaulting .

Within the single 2,400m² building are high and long jump pits, a throwing cage, weight training area for athletes, a four badminton court sports hall, health and fitness gym and dance studio. There are also media facilities, a medical room and children’s creative play area.

AmbiRad supplied heating to the main athletics arena and sports hall. A key requirement was that constant temperatures of 16°C should be maintained in the field sports and athletics area, and in the sports hall, ensuring that both those actively participating in sports and seated spectators would feel comfortably warm. Sutton Council also required an economical, energy efficient heating system.

A total of eleven Nor-Ray-Vac gas-fired continuous radiant tube burners were installed in the two areas. Nor-Ray-Vac provides even, low intensity space heating which easily achieves the required comfort temperatures, even above the raised running track.

Senior Architect Paul Algeo of Construction and Property Consultancy, which works on behalf of Sutton Council, comments: “The Nor-Ray-Vac system is a highly efficient heating solution within this complex building design. It answered all our requirements for effectiveness and economy.”

Web: www.ambirad.co.uk