GCHQ

Bladerunner successfully tendered to develop and manage a health and fitness facility at its new Head Quarters in Cheltenham which brought together 4,000 staff from two sites. At a build cost of £337 million, the innovative 176 acre centre, with its 1.1 million square feet, award winning facility, was officially opened by the Queen at the end of March 2004.

The Bladerunner team was faced with the challenge of designing a fitness centre within a ‘wedge shaped’ office shell in the building, popularly known as the ‘Doughnut’ because of its circular design. The area also had to be completely soundproofed to ensure that neighbouring offices were not disturbed by noise from the fitness area.

Initial design and layout
Bladerunner managed the design and build of the facility, working closely with architects Charles Shultzman and builders Parkholme Construction. To ensure that communications remained strong with these companies, Bladerunner appointed a dedicated project manager who co-ordinated regular review meetings for all parties.

Bladerunner played a strategic role in the facility specifications, including flooring, lockers, soundproofing, all gym equipment and finishes.

Timescales
The GCHQ project was completed in just 22 weeks; 10 weeks for the design process and 12 weeks for the build.

Access
Access to the health spa is managed via a membership management system which requires users to swipe their cards on entry to the facility.

Incentives and marketing of the gym
Bladerunner’s promotional activity has ensured that it meets the usage targets set by GCHQ 25% of the workforce – 1,000 employees, now enjoy membership of the gym with the facility operating at full capacity. Promotions are tailored to suit the time of year and are continually updated to ensure they appeal to members. Ongoing monthly activity includes a running league and competition, muscle of the month, nutrition tips etc. Materials for many of the professionally produced promotions are provided by Bladerunner head office.

Staffing
Four staff work in the facility, with two on site for the majority of the time that the fitness area is open. Three of the four staff have worked in the gym since it opened. All staff are highly qualified, and reach at least the minimum Bladerunner standard of Level 2 on the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs).

Opening times
The gym is in operation from 6am-10pm, Monday to Friday, and is constantly supervised.