The International Inclusive Cricket Centre is a new build scheme, developed by University of Worcester and the English Cricket Board (ECB), to create the first indoor sports venue specifically aimed at the inclusion of Wheelchair athletes.
Once the Centre opens it is hoped to become the home for all UK disability cricket squads, including the current blind, deaf, learning and physical disability teams.
Cahill Design Consultants (CDC) is responsible for providing specialist acoustic support to this ambitious project. The acoustic design of this space is essential to ensure that the space is perfect for its proposed uses, particularly for visually impaired and blind sports persons, where the locating of the ball is essential to the game.
There are no formal acoustic standards for the design of such spaces, therefore, CDC has undertaken extensive research to establish appropriate design criteria for the building. This research included face to face interviews with the visually impaired and blind English Cricket teams, acoustic measurements of existing facilities, including Edgbaston and material selection analysis.
The high level of technical experience within the CDC team has been used to ensure that the spaces will be suitable for all expected users of the space. Acoustic models were developed to predict the behaviour of sound within the main sports hall and recommendations for finishes were made based upon results of the modelling.
