Project Overview
The University Sports Centre in West Cambridge marks the first phase of a comprehensive strategy for enhancing the University of Cambridge’s sporting infrastructure.
Designed by Arup Associates and constructed by SDC, this iconic venue welcomes patrons into a grand lobby housing a lounge, audio-visual space and a café.
From this area, a spacious fitness suite containing a full range of state-of-the-art cardiovascular equipment is viewed through an elegant glass partition.
The Centre also has an eight-court sports hall, plus an impressive strength and conditioning room, the latter featuring numerous free-weight platforms and a two-lane plyometric track.
Externally, the most striking feature of the building is the toroidal-shaped domed roof.
This structure was designed using lightweight steel vierendeel trusses to span the distances required for activities such as badminton and basketball, with a series of ‘gills’ included to maximise the penetration of north light.
The gills contain electro-mechanically operated glazed louvres to provide natural ventilation to Sport England standards throughout the year. These passive measures have helped to considerably reduce the building’s energy consumption.
John Woods, University of Cambridge Project Manager
“We are delighted with the quality of the design, the facilities provided, and the high standard of finishes achieved at the University Sports Centre. SDC’s team were professional, energetic, proactive, and integrated well with the rest of the design and University teams. They were always focused on providing an excellent end product.”
Core Team
Adam Knaggs
Contracts Manager
Adam has cultivated a celebrated career in construction management, culminating in his appointment as Managing Director in September 2021. His early exposure to the construction industry began with hands-on experience assisting his father in building agricultural structures. Following his GCSEs, Adam launched his own business, focusing on farming construction projects for a year. However, due to a decline in workload, he joined SDC in 1995.
Commencing his tenure as a Trainee Site Engineer, Adam has steadily advanced through a variety of site-based management roles, accumulating a wealth of experience and making substantial contributions to the company’s operations. In his capacity as Managing Director, he now plays a pivotal role in defining SDC’s strategic direction and ensuring the successful delivery of its diverse project portfolio. He also has overall responsibility for Health and Safety, and Quality departments.
Adam has led significant large-scale projects, including the Northampton College Redevelopment which, at the time, was one of the largest contracts in SDC’s history. His leadership on this project earned him recognition as a finalist in the Construction Manager of the Year Awards in 2009. Earlier in his career, Adam also received the Institution of Civil Engineers’ Site Engineer of the Year Award in 1999 for his innovative shuttering system design.
Beyond his project work, Adam has been an active participant in the broader construction industry. As Chair of the Cambridgeshire branch of the Chartered Institute of Building from 2016 to 2019, he promoted collaboration and professional development within the sector. More recently, he served as a trustee of the CFCI for three years. Under Adam’s guidance, SDC continues to advance its long-standing tradition of delivering quality construction projects, supported by a commitment to innovation, excellence, and community engagement.
Phil Janes
Commercial Manager
Matt Stevens
Design Coordinator
Matt has been a part of SDC since 2007 and is an experienced and adaptable Senior Project Design Manager, well-versed in SDC’s collaborative and solution-driven approach. He actively engages in the pre-construction phase and stays involved throughout the project’s completion. With his broad industry experience, Matt excels at uniting the design development process, collaborating closely with both the client’s team and SDC’s internal design team to ensure the original design vision is preserved.
Sandy Boateng
Architect
Jon Putterill
Senior Quantity Surveyor
