[TESTIMONIAL] ERIC MICHAUD, VERRIERES-EN-ANJOU (FRANCE)

“Site visits to this type of facility won us over”.

The town of Verrières-en-Anjou (49) has just invested in a sports complex consisting of a structure with a glued laminated wood frame and a textile membrane roof. A highly appreciated investment, as Eric Michaud, deputy for major projects and former deputy for sports, explains.

Can you tell us about the origin of this project?

For several years, elected officials have been developing numerous projects to offer quality sports facilities, such as the football pitch or the athletics track, in order to cater for 26 associations and 2,700 members. Among the projects still to be implemented, a sports hall was a must. Indeed, with 7,300 inhabitants, the town is gradually growing and the need for an indoor facility was necessary, especially since we have a high school with 1,700 students.

Why did you choose the construction principle proposed by SMC2? 

Initially, we were wondering about this type of construction with a glulam frame and a textile membrane roof. However, site visits to this type of facility won us over. The textile membrane offers many advantages, including excellent brightness, resulting in user comfort and light savings. In addition, this construction option is more economical than steel panelling, faster and more environmentally friendly. Finally, the timber frame was manufactured on site in Saint-Sylvain d’Anjou.

What are the different areas of this sports complex?

The 2,050 m² site has a main multi-sports hall of 1,350 m², equipped with a resin sports floor, a 240-seat grandstand and LED lighting with 24 three-metre-long lights in six rows. Whatever the level of illumination required (300 lux for training and 500 lux for competition), all the lamps are switched on to achieve perfect uniformity. The level of illumination is regulated by varying the power of all the lamps. This gym is heated to a maximum of 12-13°C by hot water radiators. In addition, the room is equipped with a ventilation and dehumidification system to prevent condensation.

The building also includes 700 m² of annexes, with 4 changing rooms for the players, 2 for the referees, a medical room, a social area and several storage rooms.

Who are the main users?

Built near the high school (which allowed us to share the car park and thus save about 500,000 euros on the project), the gym is mainly used by students during the day. An agreement has been signed with the school to pay half of the annual operating budget of the site, i.e. 50,000 euros.

As for the commune’s sports associations, they use the site in the evenings and at weekends. The sports complex was officially opened at the beginning of September and the initial feedback from all users has been very positive.

More information about this sports complex