Category: O’Brien Sports

O’Brien is progressing well at their Northampton Boys College project and is on target to hand over as scheduled in early September 2024.

The 40,000m2 of natural turf pitches have been cultivated and seeded, with germination taken place, and a first cut anticipated in the next couple of weeks. The full size 3G pitch and MUGA has the extensive drainage complete, with both facilities having permeable subbase installed and have received their tarmacadam shock pads. Perimeter weld mesh fencing is ongoing and will be complete ahead of the synthetic carpet installation at the beginning of October 2023. The team have ensured that the contract is working towards the clients brief and budget by using their extensive knowledge and experience in total solutions sports projects.

The project

Forming part of a £28 million new modular build campus for the school, the project will deliver a fully comprehensive sports facility package, including the development of 40,000m² of natural turf pitches, a full size 3G synthetic surfaced football pitch with associated lighting and fencing, and a 62 x 36m “Leisuretex” surfaced multi-use games arena (MUGA), designed to facilitate sports such as tennis and netball.

With work already under way, the facilities are due to be completed by September 2024, ready for the school’s grand opening.

Adding value

Involved right from the start, we were approached by the client in April 2021, with a brief to create a new sports facility.

Over the course of two years, we worked with the client and the college to plan, design, and prepare a best-in-class facility. With the college possessing limited knowledge in project management and construction, we were able to draw on our team’s extensive knowledge and experience in total sports project solutions and bring the vision to life.

Working to the client’s brief and budget, we were able to offer a flexible approach and meet additional requirements requested by the college. Our in-house team provided a full bespoke design package, including earthworks modelling for natural pitches, along with extensive drainage design.

See our progress on site and latest drone video from early September…

 

Following formal inspection of our project sites  by SAPCA, O’Brien Contractors Ltd are delighted to have gained formal recognition and approval from SAPCA (Sports and Play Association) for the construction of natural turf pitches.

O’Brien have been members of SAPCA (Sports and Play Association) for a number of years for artificial turf pitches and MUGA’s, and decided it was time to request formal recognition and approval for natural turf pitches which we have been constructing for many years.

Notable recent projects have been our Western Park Project Phase 1 and Phase 2 where we constructed several natural turf pitches as part of the project and our current project at Old Saltleians RFC where we are also constructing several natural turf pitches.

O’Brien’s Sport Facilities Expertise and Experience

O’Brien offer turnkey solutions for multiple sports facilities, ranging from rugby, football, hockey pitches to stadiums and arenas.

We have a wealth of experience in sports pitch construction and we are one of the first large contractors to be able to offer turnkey solutions for multiple sports facilities, ranging from rugby, football, hockey pitches to stadiums and arenas.

This capability is maintained in-house by our team of experts who have a proven track record of delivering a diverse range of design and build sports projects to exacting client specifications.

We offer a full range of sports pitch services, including:

• Full design and build construction projects
• Synthetic and multi-use games area (MUGA) pitches
• Pitch renovations
• Natural sports pitches
• Total solutions for sports pitches

The sports installations that we deliver include natural sports pitches, such as those used for rugby, football and cricket, and synthetic and Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) pitches with surfaces suitable for just about every sport and user, from professional sports teams to schools and communities.

We provide the total solution from concept to construction to design and build all Synthetic and Natural Sports Surfaces.

SAPCA Quality System

SAPCA’s Quality System ensures that only specialist companies that can consistently deliver high standards of sports and play facilities can join SAPCA and then remain as members. Members must have a proven track record and trading history, with SAPCA checking that contractors are able to offer clients the necessary high standards of workmanship and must also meet financial stability criteria.

Standards of design and construction

SAPCA has a series of Codes of Practice that set out the industry’s standards of construction. SAPCA members must comply with the required construction specifications and quality of completed work.

Inspection of contractors’ projects

In order to ensure that SAPCA contractors continue to deliver high quality facilities, the Association has an inspection programme, through which checks are carried out on a selection of members’ projects, both during construction and on completion.

https://sapca.org.uk/

The Old Saltleians RFC training ground development is progressing at a pace, with the steel frame for the new clubhouse taking shape this week and completed ahead of programme, providing a great start for the building works.

Since starting on site in November 2021 we have completed the cut and fill works, earthworks, the foundations for the building and under the guidance of ecologists, the works to the existing pond and a new pond has been formed on site.

Whilst the weather over the last few months has created challenges, these have been overcome to keep the programme on schedule.

Keeping it Local and Recycling

To date we have brought to site over five thousand tonnes of recycled material avoiding the use of primary aggregates and recycled material has been sourced locally to reduce transport distance and impact on road users and the environment.

Materials were used to create the access road onto site as the first operation to provide access for construction works and avoid carrying debris onto the surrounding roads.

We are providing local staff resources for this project, achieving reduced travel times to site, meaning a decrease in travel time for staff, contributing towards reducing our emissions.

Community Relations

Fundamental to the success of the project is our ability to minimise impact and disruption to the local environment given the site’s location within a busy residential area with housing adjacent to the site.

Keeping residents informed is important and with this in mind a pre-start meeting was held with the local parish councillors and letter drops conducted to keep residents up to date on the works.

No complaints have been received.

Old Salteians RFC Project Overview

Works commenced on the project with a formal ground-breaking ceremony on 25 November 2021, for a 12-month duration to deliver a fantastic new facility for Old Saltleians, who are relocating due to HS2.

O’Brien are using our in-house civil engineering & construction expertise, along with our extensive sports development experience, delivering a turnkey design & build solution for the client.

The scheme includes a brand-new club house, associated access roads, car parks along with seven natural turf pitches and associated infrastructure. This will be a fantastic development for the club, the rugby, and local communities for generations to come.

The scheme follows on from our hugely successful scheme at Aston Villa training ground, which has been testament to our skills and capabilities when it comes to providing outstanding turnkey sports facilities.

 

ilities.

Winterfold House School, synthetic grass hockey pitch has been awarded FIH Certification.

O’Brien Contractors who are FIH Certified Field Builders recently completed the design and build for the construction of the full-size sand dressed synthetic hockey pitch as well as a spectator area, black weldmesh fencing & floodlighting. In addition to this we constructed two porous macadam tennis and netball courts with floodlighting as well as access pathways and access road.

O’Brien Sports Director, Mick O’Brien, said: “We are delighted that the Winterfold House School pitch has gained FIH certification. Our sports division has been delivering top quality hockey fields for many years now and this certification recognises the professionalism, skill and high standards that O’Brien Contractors bring to all of our projects.”

FIH Certified Field Builders are companies that specialise in building hockey fields. The companies that achieve accreditation have a proven ability to construct fields to the international standards the game requires. They have appropriate in-house civil engineering expertise for the design and construction of 11-a-side and Hockey 5s fields, operate quality management systems to ensure consistency in their work, and provide comprehensive maintenance advice to their customers.

Only a small number of firms worldwide have so far achieved FIH accreditation award.

 

O’Brien is pleased to announce it is an Affiliate Partner for Wasps Rugby Club, which is based at the Ricoh Arena Coventry.

The official announcement was made on Saturday at the Wasps vs. Gloucester game. Peter O’Brien, O’Brien’s Managing Director was invited down on to the pitch with his O’Brien team to meet Wasps Managing Director, Stuart Cain.

O’Brien launched a campaign at the ground to strengthen the association between its sports and civils work. “Raise your game” was designed to encompass and promote its experience and capabilities within both areas of sports and civils contracts.

Peter O’Brien, said: “It is a great opportunity for O’Brien to be associated with a prestigious club such as Wasps. We hope the campaign at the ground will enlighten and encourage people to think of O’Brien Sports and O’Brien Contractors when they need any advice on sports and civils projects.”

O’Brien looks forward to the year ahead and supporting Wasps in their 2018/19 season.