Construction work has begun on Scotland’s new £33m Sports Performance Centre, located at the Riccarton Campus at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

The facility, designed by Reiach and Hall Architects, will become the new training base for Scotland’s elite athletes and will support the high performance needs for football, rugby and volleyball while offering additional dedicated support to athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, fencing, handball, hockey, netball, shinty and squash.

The centre will include a full-sized indoor pitch with seating for 500, international standard grass and synthetic outdoor pitches, a high performance strength and conditioning centre, a high performance medical centre and hydrotherapy pool, fitness centres and studios and support services.

There will also be a 12-court sports hall with 300 spectator seating, a large public health club, restaurant and private dining areas and conferencing and meeting spaces.

The centre’s name – Oriam – and accompanying branding was also announced at a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Louise Martin, chair of Sportscotland.

Martin said: “Oriam will facilitate sporting excellence in Scotland by helping our performance athletes develop and maximise their talents across many sports, supported by performance experts and sports scientists.”

Oriam is scheduled for completion in summer 2016. It is being funded in partnership by Heriot-Watt University, The Scottish Government, Sportscotland and the City of Edinburgh Council.

Read more: www.oriamscotland.com