A common misperception about leisure pools is that they're all alike. Not so.
pool areaA common misperception about leisure pools is that they're all alike. Not so. The natatorium in The Multiplex in Grande Prairie, Alb., includes three pool basins - one competitive tank, one training tank and one leisure-oriented pool - and a FlowRider and spraypad. But even with that large a program, there wasn't space to satisfy the owner's desire for a full-fledged wave pool. Instead, Barr-Ryder Architects & Interior Designers of Edmonton, working in conjunction with Water Technology of Beaver Dam, Wis., configured the leisure pool as a torrent river. High-banked walls contain the river waves (inset), and an access ramp for people with disabilities (foreground, above) is made safe for use through a design that follows the river's contours along its outer wall. A pool lift serves as the river's second accessibility option, since the "Adventure River," unlike most other leisure pools, lacks a zero-depth entry.
