Adams 12 Five Star School District — Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center
Thornton, Colo.
Year in Showcase: 2011
Project Description
Featuring an Olympic-size, 50-meter competitive pool with seating for 800, the Adams 12 Veterans Memorial Aquatics Center not only supports the Adams 12 Five Star School District’s five high schools and eight middle schools, it’s also a venue for local, state and regional competitions.
The facility provides adequate accommodation to swimmers/divers and spectators, while a two-level plan with distinct circulation paths maintains appropriate separation of the two user groups. Durable structural materials such as concrete masonry steel are augmented by brick veneer and precast concrete details. Solar panels on the roof heat the pool’s water, while the translucent, insulated skylight in the natatorium allows for natural light while also preventing glare.
Inside, simple lines and colored graphics articulate the spaces and promote wayfinding. Design concepts reference water, including wave shapes on the railing of the stairs and iconic swim imagery displayed on oversized banners in the natatorium.
The pool’s dehumidification system uses Colorado’s high-altitude and dry outside air to remove moisture from the space, eliminating the need for a more conventional and costly refrigerant-based dehumidification system. Introducing greater amounts of outside air than a conventional system, this system also serves to improve indoor air quality. Large ceiling fans create constant, low-velocity air movement at the pool surface to remove potentially harmful chloramines from the breathing zone of swimmers.
Project Details
Architect Of Record: Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture; Denver, Colo.
Aquatic Design Engineer: Water Technology Inc.; Beaver Dam, Wis.
Programming Consultant
: GreenPlay LLC; Lawrence, Kan.
Construction Cost: $16.5 million
Square Feet: 43,570
Occupancy: September 2010
Vendors
Access Ramps/Stairs:
Spectrum Aquatics
Bulkheads:
Stark Bulkhead Co.
Chemical Control Systems: Becs Technology Inc.
Cleaners/Vacuums: Maytronics Us Inc.
Cleaners/Vacuums:
Spectrum Aquatics
Deck/Basin Surface: Monarch Pool Systems
Dehumidifiers: Innovent Air Handling Equipment
Diving Boards:
Spectrum Aquatics
Filtration Systems: Neptune-Benson Inc.
Flooring: Srs Flooring
Gutters: Lawson Aquatics Inc.
Heaters: Trane
Ladders/Grab Bars:
Spectrum Aquatics
Lane Markers: Antiwave Pool Products
Lighting: Hubbell Lighting Inc.
Lockers: Bradley Corp.
Scoreboard/Timing Systems: Colorado Time Systems
Starting Blocks:
Paragon Aquatics, Div. of Pentair
