Center Parcs - Woburn Forest

In 2014, Center Parcs, a European network of holiday villages, planned to add a fifth village to their sites in the United Kingdom. This included constructing 700 forest lodges, a hotel, two leisure centres, sport and retail complexes, lakes and an extensive infrastructure, in 350 hectares of woodland in Woburn, Bedfordshire.

We provided structural and engineering design for the iconic centerpiece of the Woburn development: the tropical swimming paradise—a 16,000 square metre pool and leisure building. Due to the curvature of the buildings and pool configurations, the design required creative thinking to allow for an open-plan interior space. 

Center Parcs holiday villages are known for featuring an attractive central sports lake as part of the forested landscape. Because of this, we were commissioned to design a new reservoir. Behind the natural appearance of the reservoir was an 8-metre high embankment dam engineered from selected site-won material. Water was contained with a robust polymer liner, protected against erosion and finished with pre-grown reed mats around the water line. The lake provides carefully balanced surface water attenuation for the development, as well as the opportunity for biodiversity and amenity.

The result? Woburn Forest is a family-friendly adventure holiday suitable for both relaxing and doing outdoor activities in the heart of Bedfordshire.