Hertsmere Leisure Centres’ £5m redevelopment complete 

A massive, £5 million refurbishment project at has been completed at InspireAll’s Bushey Grove and Furzefield Leisure Centres.

The nine-month redevelopments involved the added challenge of keep facilities open for customers, and leisure design and build specialist, Createability, worked closely with InspireAll (formerly Hertsmere Leisure), who manage the sites on behalf of Hertsmere Borough Council, to ensure it was business as usual throughout the works.

The initial stage of development at Furzefield saw two courts of the existing six-court sports hall converted into a three-storey soft play and XHeight Adventure Climbing destination. The centre’s original soft play area has been transformed into party rooms, and visitors to the ‘clip and climb’ and new soft play area will now also benefit from a bigger café and new reception area.

Createability has further enhanced the offering at Furzefield, with two old changing rooms being ‘flattened’ to make way for a new immersive cycling studio, with the introduction of Stages Flight cycles and a giant virtual experience screen, which enable more classes to run throughout the week.

Clever design allows for a user-friendly experience, particularly in equipment-loaded workout spaces. Furzefield’s two storey gym re-development was carried out in two phrases, with the first floor, home to the functional training area, benefitting from high impact matting to help cushion plyometric landings, running tracks, mirrors and heavy weights.

The equipment offering has also been upgraded, featuring the Technogym SKILL range, including; SKILLROW™, the SKILLMILL™ and the new SKILLRUN™.  The gym also accommodates the latest connected equipment from Matrix. New vibrant wall graphics have also been added to help motivate customers to achieve new goals.

Gym changing facilities at Furzefield have been remodelled and now incorporate discussed storage space, to maximise the changing area and facilities. The final phase of development work at Furzefield concentrated on the reception and main foyer area. Customers will notice improved accessibility to the centre’s facilities.

Phase four of Furzefield’s redevelopment was to remodel the old health suite into a destination day spa, complete with its own reception area, four treatment rooms with their own laundry facilities, a relaxation area with heated benches and an ice machine, three experience rooms, and dedicated spa changing with showers and lockers.

Bushey Grove’s health suite has also been remodelled to create a day-spa offering, with its own reception and four treatment rooms. Customers receiving treatments can now enjoy a new ‘relaxation area’ and unwind in the herbal sauna and aroma steam rooms. Taking the health suite to new heights are an ice fountain, heated benches and bucket showers. Customers can enjoy the revitalising sensation of rubbing limbs with ice flakes in the fountain.  Following treatments, customers can freshen up in bespoke changing rooms, which have been carefully crafted by Createability.

Work also focused on Bushey Grove’s main reception, where dry side changing rooms and the old creche have been knocked into a cafe extension, new toilets, a staff room and a new creche. The existing staff room has been made into a large party room with a folding acoustic wall that can be opened up to double as further cafe seating when necessary.

Bushey Grove’s swimming pool changing village has also been lightly refurbished, to bring consistency, with InspireAll’s brand colours.

Createability was stepping on familiar ground when it came to the redevelopment of the fitness suite, having previously extended the gym many years ago. A mezzanine floor has been created over the existing reception area to house part of the gym. This new design has helped gain significant space and includes a glazed curtain wall overlooking the car park.

An existing studio has been converted it into an immersive indoor cycling studio, similar to Furzefield’s. The redevelopments will provide first class health and fitness facilities to the wider community and aim to improve member experience and retention. The project is one of more than 600 to have been delivered by design and build specialist, Createability.

David Brame, Chief Executive of InspireAll, said: “This was a challenging project with significant crossover with the public, which was handled well. The finished facilities have been well received by our customers and will certainly help to strengthen user experience.

“InspireAll has undoubtedly benefitted from Createability’s 25 years of leisure expertise to help maximise both our space effectively and our financial return on investment. Both leisure centres are an essential part of the community, already more individuals and groups are enjoying the quality of service and leisure experience these two centres now have to offer.”