[TESTIMONIAL] WILLIAM PETROVIC, PRESIDENT OF THE BEL AIR TENNIS CLUB – ST GERMAIN EN LAYE (FRANCE)
HAVING LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS, WE DECIDED TO GO WITH A GLULAM FRAME WITH A DUAL-SKIN MEMBRANE ROOF
Saint-Germain-en-Laye’s two new covered tennis courts with their glulam frame and dual-skin membrane roof manufactured by SMC2, have been up and running now for a few months. William Petrovic, president of the Bel Air Tennis Club had the following comments to make regarding the project.
Why did you choose this type of structure?
Given the decrease in State subsidies, Local Authorities need to make budget cuts. So, it made sense for both the town councillors and the club to invest in a structure that fitted into the town’s landscape as seamlessly as possible, while remaining affordable – especially since the town has just invested in a new gymnasium. Having looked at the different options, we decided to go with a glulam frame with a dual-skin membrane roof. We opted to go for a wooden structure rather than aluminium because wood has a “warmer” look and feel. The other options didn’t meet with the town’s planning criteria for this site. For example, the air-inflated bubble did not have the right aesthetics and would have been too noisy because of the blowers.
Why has a dual skin membrane roof been chosen?
The club felt that in made sense to make the extra investment in a dual skin membrane roof rather than a single skin roof to avoid the risk of condensation. In fact, SMC2 offer different solutions to handle condensation issues, such as passive natural ventilation, air moisture regulation and dual-skin membrane roofing. We opted for the third solution because it helps regulate the inside temperature and provides some insulation in winter. We haven’t encountered any problems so far.
Last summer was stiflingly hot, but the temperature inside the hall was absolutely fine. The ventilation grills located at low level allow air to circulate all the time.
How did the building work go?
SMC2 supported us right from the beginning and were very efficient on site. Overall, the project took a little over four months, but the actual Glulam frame was assembled in just under a month. Everything had been manufactured and prepared off site in advance. There was only the assembly left to do on site. It was actually very impressive to see the trucks bringing in the giant beams.
What was the initial feedback?
People had been really looking forward to it, and feedback has been positive, especially about how bright it is inside the hall. In fact, it has to be a very gloomy day indeed before you have to even think about switching on the lights. This makes for significant power savings. There’s also a feeling of space, which isn’t always the case in some other structures in which you can tend to feel cramped. And the temperature inside is fine. We don’t feel hotter inside on a hot day and vice versa. We are very satisfied with the result and already several other towns have been to visit our facilities.