A Willmott Dixon project is in the spotlight as the Women's Rugby World Cup begins today at the recently-opened £30m Surrey Sports Park at the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.

Willmott Dixon was tasked with a two-stage design and build project that took place over 69 weeks. Key objectives included to provide leisure facilities to Olympic standards and to ensure that a large percentage of the total spend was to support the 'local pound'. A further challenge was for the complex to achieve the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) rating of Very Good.

Outdoor facilities comprise three floodlit artificial turf pitches; 10 football/rugby pitches; two-small sided sports pitches; two cricket squares and eight floodlit tennis courts, as well as a two-lane, 60m sprint track while the centre features an eight-lane, 50m swimming pool.

Other facilities include a 700sq m (7,535sq ft) health and fitness centre, equipped with 120 stations of Life Fitness machines and free weights; three multi-purpose sports halls; six squash courts and a climbing wall are also on offer, as well as three exercise/dance studios, a 200-seat Starbucks café, two seminar rooms and a sports bar.