Southwest ISD Aquatic Center

Designed as a competitive swimming and diving facility to host regional meets and tournaments, and as a learning and training facility to cultivate a pipeline of competitive swimmers and divers, the two pools facilitate both programs. 

In the 50-meter pool, two movable bulkheads, along with varied water depths, allow for simultaneous events in swimming, diving and water polo. Carefully positioned storage rooms around the pool deck facilitate the quick storage and retrieval of equipment for transition from event to event. The instructional pool includes four shallow-water lap lanes and an accessible ramp to facilitate youth swim programs and community water aerobics, and serves as the warmup pool on swim meet days. Positioning the instructional pool near the lobby allows parents to view swim lessons from the air conditioned environment or from the pool deck. 

A translucent panel roof and abundant glass walls allow controlled light transmittance into the natatorium while reducing heat gain, meeting the challenge of lowering the cost of construction and reducing operating energy costs. Ventilation is achieved through the use of operable walls, which eliminates the cost of dehumidification, and the building orientation and geometry are designed to aerodynamically support natural air flow.

LEAD ARCHITECT

Marmon Mok Architecture

AQUATIC DESIGN CONSULTANT

Counsilman-Hunsaker

COMPONENTS

• Eight-lane, 50-meter competition pool

• Two moveable bulkheads

• Four-lane shallow instructional pool

• ADA ramp  

SUPPLIERS