Eton College’s Willowbrook – Eye-catchingly good

Two full size and one training pitch have been completed to the FIH National Performance Standard creating a significant resource for the game which is enjoyed by some seventeen teams at Eton. Obviously S&C Slatter’s status as an FIH Certified Field Builder and its holistic engineering skills were important in pursuing and delivering a build programme tasked with producing an end product of the highest order.

The company’s relationship with manufacturer partner, and FIH Preferred Producer, FieldTurf, also ensured provision of a superb playing surface – the sand-dressed Hockey Gold Elite.

However, the process driver was very much embracing and implementing a highly detailed project plan with finite attention to detail in both pre-build planning and on-site management. Our Pre-Construction Manager Ben O’Connor and Contracts Manager Peter Fowler were key team leaders and they were delighted when independent auditors visited the site during works and scored us maximum marks for quality management system ISO 9001: 2015 and health & safety compliance.

When visiting you’ll even be impressed by the parking arrangements. Its not often that a car park goes beyond the purely practical but that’s the case at Willowbrook. Here the design and layout, including the access roadway and paths, show an eye-pleasing mix of angles, curves, colours and textures which adds visual interest and creates a sense of space. Even the Illuminated bollards set within the borders are softened by the imaginative use of plants such as ornamental grasses.

This type of feature is very much a specialism of the company’s Slatter Surfacing & Civils division. In addition to Eton it has earlier this year completed major car park schemes for independent school clients such as Roedean, Kingshott and The John Lyon School.

The Willowbrook project once again confirms the position of S&C Slatter as the Country’s principal provider of multi-asset sports and leisure facilities.