A disused swimming pool at a London further-education college has been transformed into a light-filled, timber-lined learning hub, showcasing how adaptive reuse can expand educational infrastructure without new-build construction. The project, featured by Designboom, replaces chlorinated water and tiled decks with flexible studios, classrooms, and social spaces, all contained within the existing pool hall shell. By inserting a warm, multi-level timber structure into the former basin, the design team has created a contemporary teaching environment that honors the building’s past while meeting current pedagogical needs. The conversion not only demonstrates the spatial and environmental potential of underused sports facilities, but also reflects a broader shift in campus design toward sustainability, material consciousness, and versatility in how students learn and gather.
Adaptive reuse of a disused swimming pool into a flexible timber learning hub
The once chlorinated void at the heart of the campus now reads as a warm, light-filled timber landscape, where the pool’s sunken geometry has been cleverly preserved rather than concealed. Tiered platforms step down into the former basin, forming a natural amphitheater that supports everything from informal study to public lectures. Above, a lattice of engineered wood beams spans the old pool hall, integrating acoustic baffles, skylight reveals, and concealed services to maintain a visually calm ceiling plane.The design prioritizes low-carbon construction and reversibility, with bolted rather than glued joints so that components can be disassembled, reconfigured, or reused in future projects.
- Movable timber partitions slide along ceiling tracks to create break-out rooms,studios,or open-plan event space within minutes.
- Integrated storage plinths double as seating, housing AV equipment and learning materials while keeping the floor uncluttered.
- Raised decking inserts sit over the deepest part of the pool, offering level flooring for workshops while still revealing the original tiled edge.
- Perforated balustrades in spruce and birch plywood are detailed to improve sightlines and air circulation across the sunken hall.
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| CLT platforms | Informal seating and stepped learning |
| Timber trusses | Span the hall and host lighting + services |
| Acoustic linings | Reduce reverberation in the former pool shell |
| Glazed pool edge | Preserve views into the historic volume |
Sustainable structural interventions and daylight strategies for deep plan interiors
The transformation of the disused pool shell into a calm learning landscape hinges on a sequence of lightweight, reversible timber insertions that respect the existing concrete structure while radically improving environmental performance. Primary glulam ribs span the former water volume, carrying cross-laminated panels that double as circulation decks and acoustic baffles, all detailed as dry-jointed components for easy disassembly. This skeletal strategy minimizes new foundations,reduces embodied carbon and preserves the readability of the original pool basin. By threading new beams through existing column lines and reusing redundant plant voids for services, the project avoids invasive interventions and keeps operational systems accessible for future upgrades.
To address the notoriously low daylight levels typical of deep plan sports halls, the design layers passive lighting tactics with smart controls. Overhead, sawtooth rooflights with north-facing glazing harvest diffuse light, while sun-collecting light wells and reflective reveal linings bounce illumination deep into teaching bays. At floor level, pale timber linings, perforated balustrades and high-reflectance acoustic panels soften contrasts and distribute brightness into breakout corners. These strategies are supported by a dimmable LED grid, zoned to respond to daylight sensors so that artificial lighting tops up only where necessary, sustaining comfortable luminance for seminars, workshops and informal study.
- Timber frame spans the existing pool without new substructure
- Reversible joints allow future reconfiguration or reuse
- Rooflight ribbons draw daylight into the deepest bays
- Reflective finishes amplify natural light and reduce glare
| Element | Strategy | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Primary structure | Glulam and CLT | Low embodied carbon |
| Roof lights | North-facing sawtooth | Even, cool daylight |
| Internal lining | Light timber surfaces | Improved light spread |
| Lighting control | Daylight-linked dimming | Reduced energy use |
Integrating heritage elements with contemporary wood craftsmanship in educational spaces
Designers preserved the disciplined geometry of the natatorium while softening it with precisely detailed joinery, allowing students to read the building’s past in every beam and balustrade. Original tiled plinths and steel trusses are left exposed, their cool, industrial character offset by warm spruce linings, acoustic slatted panels, and crafted window seats. Historic viewing galleries that once overlooked the pool are now edged with finely profiled timber handrails, turning former spectator zones into quiet study balconies. This calibrated interplay between old and new is not nostalgic; instead, it frames the space as a live teaching tool where construction history, structural logic, and material tactility are constantly on display.
The project team used wood as a narrative device, stitching together fragments of the building’s story through carefully chosen species and details:
- Exposed joists reference the rhythm of the former lane markings below.
- Built-in benches sit within the footprint of the old changing rooms, offering informal seminar corners.
- Timber display rails align with former pool signage, now supporting models and prototypes.
- Oversailing eaves and soffits subtly echo the sweeping span of the original roof trusses.
| Element | Heritage Reference | Contemporary Timber Response |
|---|---|---|
| Pool Basin | Sunken volume | Tiered wooden forums |
| Gallery Edge | Spectator rail | Study ledges & book rails |
| Changing Bays | Compartmental layout | Workshop pods & maker booths |
Recommendations for scalable multi use campus transformations using modular timber systems
To future-proof educational estates, modular timber interventions should be conceived as a kit-of-parts that can migrate as campus needs shift. By standardizing grids, panel dimensions, and structural connectors, colleges can assemble, dismantle, and reconfigure spaces with minimal disruption, turning one-time capital projects into long-term spatial assets. Lightweight CLT and glulam elements span generous volumes such as emptied pools without overloading existing foundations, while prefabricated envelope cassettes plug into retained structures to upgrade thermal performance. Key to this approach is early coordination between architects, engineers, and estate managers so that each module has a clearly defined role but can be recombined to support new programs over time.
- Layered uses – design studios by day, public lectures or exhibitions by night.
- Plug-in services – raised floors and service rafts that allow speedy re-routing of power and data.
- Reversible joints – bolted,not glued,connections that support disassembly and reuse.
- Acoustic zoning – timber linings and baffles to separate quiet study from active making.
- Material openness – exposed timber and clear labelling to aid future repair cycles.
| Strategy | Campus Benefit |
| Modular timber grid | Fast reconfiguration of rooms |
| Hybrid reuse of pool shell | Lower embodied carbon and cost |
| Prefabricated panels | Reduced on-site disruption |
| Demountable partitions | Adaptable teaching formats |
Operational resilience is just as critical as the initial build. Campuses can treat each timber module as a long-term resource,tracked and maintained through digital inventories that log panel specifications,fire ratings,and previous configurations. This data-driven approach enables estate teams to relocate modules between buildings or satellite sites as enrolment patterns fluctuate. To maintain performance, colleges should pair modular timber systems with robust governance frameworks that set standards for fire safety, moisture control, and acoustic comfort, ensuring that every transformation-whether a former swimming pool or an underused gym-delivers a consistent, high-quality environment for evolving pedagogies.
Key Takeaways
As London continues to grapple with how best to adapt its aging building stock, the conversion of this disused swimming pool into a flexible, timber-framed learning hub offers a persuasive model. It demonstrates how educational institutions can extend the life of existing structures while radically improving their performance, comfort, and relevance.
By prioritizing low-carbon materials, spatial versatility, and the careful reuse of an overlooked asset, the project aligns architectural ambition with environmental responsibility and evolving pedagogical needs. More than a simple refurbishment, it reframes a once-single-purpose facility as an open, adaptable resource-pointing toward a future in which campuses grow not through expansion, but through intelligent transformation.
