Sports & Leisure
Commercial Construction Midlands
Sports have always been a big part of Tyto Contracting Limited as a commercial construction Midlands company and we have overseen the construction projects for many clients in the sports and leisure sector.
Newmarket July Course
Refurbishment of the iconic July Course’s weighing room complex, including a new terrace and champagne bar.
| Project value | £2.6 milllion |
| Client | The Jockey Club |
| Architect | Roberts Limbrick |
| Engineer | Furness Partnership |
| Project manager & building services consultant | DSA Consultants Ltd |
| Cost consultant | PMP Consultants Ltd |
| Programme | 10 months |
| Form of procurement | Competitive tender |
| Form of contract | JCT Design & Build |
The Jockey Club – the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the UK – required upgrades at the Newmarket July Course as part of an ongoing industry-wide project to modernise facilities.
Tyto Contracting Limited was appointed following a competitive tendering process and began work in September 2022, with tight timescales to ensure it finished ahead of the new racing season at the iconic venue in July, as is often the case with commercial construction Midlands projects.
The two-phase project was centred on creating first-class facilities for jockeys in The Weighing Room and enhancing the spectator offering in The Head-On Stand with a stunning new champagne bar and viewing terrace.
In The Weighing Room, the building was stripped to its bare bones to enable a complete reconfiguration of the weighing and changing room areas in line with new minimum standards, delivering greater consistency for all jockeys.
Trial investigations enabled the construction team to spot design changes early, including increasing ceiling heights and re-routing the drainage system for the new shower rooms and toilets.
However, this, coupled with the uncovering and safe removal of asbestos, led to unforeseen delays. This time was recovered to ensure the first phase was finished on schedule, resulting in the creation of an impressive facility that included private showers, toilets, male/female/flexi changing rooms, physio rooms, a safeguarding area, and a new weighing room. With commercial construction Midlands projects, we are aware that unforeseen circumstances might arise, but our team always endeavours to complete work in a timely manner.
Phase two included revamping the existing Head-On Stand to help improve the overall visitor experience and incorporating a new two-storey champagne Bar to replace the existing one-storey facility, which was beginning to age. This is capable of accommodating 327 people, split between 132 on the ground floor and 195 on the terrace.
Works included installing a new roof, erecting the new steel-framed champagne bar, and upgrading the exterior with cedar cladding so it blended into the new look of the complex.
The final project, which also delivered sustainability improvements through the installation of solar panels and low-energy lighting, was completed in June, ahead of the new racing season in July. We were thrilled following the completion of this commercial construction Midlands project as it enhanced the experiences of both spectators and jockeys alike.
We also completed work on Warwick Racecourse, which can be seen here.
Daimler Powerhouse
Transformation of the original Daimler car factory into a creative arts hub.
| Project value | £1.85 million |
| Client | Godiva Awakes Trust |
| Architect | Nicol Thomas |
| Engineer | GCA Consulting (structural) |
| Programme | 40 weeks |
| Form of procurement | Negotiated |
| Form of contract | JCT design and build |
The seven-acre site of the former Lawsons’s Daimler car factory in the Radford area of Coventry was acquired by Tetra Real Estate as a long-term investment in 2006. This was another commercial construction Midlands project we were thrilled to work on.
The powerhouse building was the only remaining part of the factory where the first Daimler car was built in 1897, the rest of the factory was destroyed during WW2 bombing. Whilst being of historic significance, it hadn’t been used in decades and was left in a dilapidated condition.
Tetra Real Estate and Tyto Contracting Limited worked with the arts group Imagineer Productions for eight years to explore the idea of turning this space into a creative hub. This required obtaining the relevant planning permissions and acquiring the funding to convert the site and start this commercial construction Midlands project.
Once this was achieved, work began in September 2020 and included significant asbestos removal, installation of a new roof, restoration of brickwork, new glazing, stabilisation of foundations, relocation of cranes and a modern fit-out including sprung floors and acrobatic equipment.
This highly complex project posed an additional challenge as it was a listed building, close to a conservation area. Tyto also worked on a strict deadline to ensure its completion in time for the beginning of Coventry’s turn as a UK City of Culture in 2021, making this a significant commercial construction Midlands project.
The transformation of Daimler Powerhouse was completed in April 2021 on time and on budget and now provides much-needed and dedicated fully accessible state-of-the-art spaces for existing and emerging artists in the area, with Imagineer signing a 20-year lease.
Wasps Elite Performance And Innovation Centre
Refurbishment of existing leisure facility for the premiership rugby club, Wasps and creation of all-weather pitches.
| Project value | £5.4 million |
| Client | Wasps Rugby Club |
| Architect | WMA |
| Engineer | David Smith Associates |
| Programme | 20 weeks |
| Form of procurement | Negotiated |
| Form of contract | Intermediate building contract 2016 |
A 13-acre site along Stratford Road in Henley-in-Arden was acquired by Wasps Rugby from Warwickshire College Group in 2019, after selecting it as the location for their new state-of-the-art training facility.
Previously, the club had been based at Broadstreet Rugby Club following their move to Coventry, but the site in rural Warwickshire provided an ideal setting to create a facility befitting of a top team. This was a particularly exciting commercial construction Midlands project, especially for the rugby fans in our team.
Tyto was appointed as the development partner for this ambitious project and we were tasked with transforming a tired sports centre into an elite performance and innovation centre fit for the men’s first team and academy players.
This commercial construction Midlands project began in March 2021 and included repairs to the existing roof, walls and underground waterproofing, the installation of mezzanine offices, a complete fit-out, and both hard and soft landscaping.
Other work included the creation of a purpose-built gym, changing rooms, two large hydrotherapy pools and a sauna. Furthermore, it also included the construction of a media centre, medical complex, offices for coaching and administration staff, and restaurant facilities.
A grass pitch and all-weather 3G plus surface pitch were also created, with low-energy LED lighting fitted across both pitches and the car park to make the facility as eco-friendly as possible.
The six-month project led to the investment of around £4 million and now provides Wasps with one of the finest training complexes in English rugby – and their first permanent training ground of their own since leaving Sudbury in 1999, making this a somewhat historic commercial construction Midlands project.
Warwick Racecourse
Refurbishment of the racecourse’s corporate hospitality venue and construction of a new main entrance.
| Project value | £350,000 |
| Client | The Jockey Club |
| Architect | Roberts Limbrick |
| Programme | 24 weeks |
| Form of procurement | Competitive tender |
| Form of contract | JCT design and build |
Once again, as a Midlands construction company, it was a great honour to work on the historic Warwick Racecourse. Located in the heart of the town, it is among the oldest horse racing locations in the UK.
Tyto Contracting Limited was appointed to freshen up the facilities with a two-phase project consisting of a corporate hospitality venue and a new main entrance – both of which were agreed to tight deadlines and posed further challenges due to construction taking place during the race season.
The first phase of work commenced in March 2017 at the end of the spring season and work had to be finished in September 2017 ahead of the first race of the Racing UK Grand Season Opener.
This consisted of a fit-out of a 400 sq ft unit located on the ground floor of the course. It was previously a storage facility but sat vacant and was an under-utilised space, but with Tyto as their chosen Midlands construction company, we turned the site into an exclusive-access venue, with a bar area and seating, capable of holding 36 guests.
The second phase saw Tyto commence work on the demolition and rebuild of the main entrance to the racecourse. Although the existing entrance was one of two, it was not being used due to its dilapidated state, rendering it an idle space.
We secured planning permission for the demolition and rebuild of a timber-clad entrance wall and canopy with four ticket offices and two turnstile gates. This was coupled with a newly landscaped patio with a fenced-off seating area that could be used all year round.
Both phases were completed on a budget of £350,000 on stringent deadlines as agreed by the client, with work carried out safely around busy foot traffic during race season.