Customer: GB Rowing

Location: Caversham, near Reading

Requirement: As training intensified for Britain's rowers in the build up to the Beijing Olympics, GB Rowing identified a need for an athlete's restroom at its Caversham training centre. The Olympic rowing team were completing three exhausting training sessions a day and needed a quiet, comfortable room where they could sleep between sessions. The existing clubhouse had no room for such facilities, so a decision was made to source a new building to be located nearby.

Solution: GB Rowing Resources Manager, Maurice Hayes, says: "Portakabin was the first name that came to mind when we thought of buying a stand-alone new building. We looked at various other options and suppliers, but Portakabin emerged as offering the best value for money and a building that most closely fitted our needs."

GB Rowing chose a large Portakabin Titan building - the largest single modular building in Europe - offering plenty of scope to configure the interior to meet the athletes' needs. The restroom was needed fast, as there was nowhere else on site for the rowers to get the rest they required, so Portakabin worked closely with the building contractor to get the new building on site as quickly as possible.

The building was delivered by Portakabin on the agreed date, just eight weeks after the order was placed. On arrival it was craned into position onto tall concrete foundation pillars, which were necessary due to the building's location on a floodplain. The unique Portakabin Customer Charter gives all Portakabin customers the assurance that their buildings will be delivered on time and on budget. The company's proven track record of delivering 99.6% of facilities on time and on budget* is further backed up by the promise that if Portakabin ever fails to meet the contract start date, it will provide an additional 12 months' product warranty, free of charge.**

Portakabin kitted out the GB Rowing restroom with a full climate-control system, guaranteeing the athletes a comfortable sleeping environment, whatever the temperature outside. Externally the building was finished with timber cladding to complement the existing clubhouse, making it an attractive addition to the site. GB Rowing then simply installed bunk beds and the building was ready for use.

Maurice Hayes continues: "The new Portakabin building fulfils all our requirements for the athletes' sleeping quarters. It is now being well used by our elite rowers on an ad-hoc basis, whenever they need it. Another benefit of the Portakabin building is that it offers us flexibility for future changes in its use. The service from Portakabin throughout the project was very good, ensuring we got the building we wanted exactly when we needed it."

*Based on Portakabin order analysis for January 2004 - June 2008.

**Terms and Conditions apply. A copy is available on request.