Inside one of the new studios.
The contractor’s Cannock office provided energy efficient cooling and ventilation packages from its manufacturing partner Mitsubishi Electric for the international roll-out of Blaze Studios at David Lloyd Clubs.
The boutique studios, launched by David Lloyd Leisure, have been designed for the dynamic new workout class 'Blaze', that combines mixed martial arts, intense cardio and strength training synced to upbeat motivational dance music.
The contract with PDS Design & Build in Wakefield, worth around £160,000, involved collaborating in the design and installation of the latest comfort cooling and heat recovery ventilation technology for seven Blaze Studios across the UK, Northern Ireland and Holland.
Coolair installed a twin direct expansion (DX) split system incorporating four-way-blow cassettes to directly cool incoming air, along with a Lossnay unit mounted above the ceiling to extract the stale air and replace it with fresh incoming air heated by the outgoing air, in each Blaze Studio.
The project, which took three weeks per studio, was carried out in a standardised way within existing club facilities at Bushey (Watford), Basildon, Ipswich, Derby, Cheshire Oaks and Belfast, while Coolair’s first international assignment at The Centrum in Rotterdam required a bespoke solution.
Coolair project engineer Ben Snookes said: “The Rotterdam site was challenging not only logistically in terms of shipping materials, manpower and access equipment over there at a budget, but also because the job involved working in a nine-story listed building.
“The Blaze Studio was being built on the fourth floor and there was no external space for plant, so we came up with the answer of modifying the existing ventilation plant for fresh air requirements.”
PDS Design & Build project manager Rob Williams said: “It has been a pleasure working alongside Coolair on this programme. Together we have handed over all the individual projects well and on time with minimal disruption to the clubs and their members, which was a major factor for the client.”
Coolair Midlands regional director, Neil Gibbard, added: “We were delighted that our experience, expertise and links with a top manufacturer led to the successful roll-out of a new workout experience as well as the completion of our first international assignment, for which we were equally well equipped.”