Size Wise-Mar05 Athletic Business

8/2/2019 Size Wise-Mar05 Athletic Business

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There is probably no building on a college or university campusas complicated to plan as a natatorium. Certainly, there are fewmore expensive on a square-foot basis, considering the natato-

riums associated mechanical systems, foundations and support

spaces such as multiple locker and shower rooms.

Beyond engineering, though, what makes the college natatorium

difficult to design is the sheer number and variety of users who will

have a stake in the final product. A natatorium can host competi-

tions in different sports (swimming, diving, synchronized swim-ming, water polo) and of different levels (Olympic, intercollegiate,

athleticbusiness.com March 2005 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 75

A 50-METER POOL WITH TWO MOVABLE

BULKHEADS ALLOWS A FULL RANGE OF

ACTIVITIES TO BE ACCOMMODATED.

hoo on t u

a 25-, 35- or 50-meter pool raises

a host of design, planning,

construction and operational issues.

F A C I L I T Y P L A N N I N G

BY BRAD MCCORD, NANCY FREEDMAN& RANDY MENDIOROZ

PhotoofUniversityofMarylandnatatoriumc

ourtesyofSasakiAssociatesInc.

A 50-METER POOL WITH TWO MOVABLE

BULKHEADS ALLOWS A FULL RANGE OF

ACTIVITIES TO BE ACCOMMODATED.

Choosing whether to construct

a 25-, 35- or 50-meter pool raises

a host of design, planning,

construction and operational issues.

F&


2/7

76 ATHLETIC BUSINESS March 2005 athleticbusiness.com

secondary school), and will also see its

share of recreational and therapeutic swim-

mers. Indeed, with many pools financedthrough student referendums as part of

larger recreational complexes, a natatorium

will have to maximize recreational use (such

as free swim, water aerobics classes and

learn-to-swim programs) in order to meet

the needs of just about everyone, including

recreational users, faculty/staff

members and community mem-

bers.

Determining what size pool is

the most appropriate for your col-

lege or university, then, will hinge

on identifying the primary and

secondary users of the facility

and then planning for all the other

users, too. Since the pool will in

the most likely scenario be used

for competitions, the needs of

spectators as well as visiting

teams will also have to be consid-

ered. Outdoor club and special-

ized activities such as scuba/

water rescue, canoe/kayak and

synchronized swimming, along

with programs for physical therapy and

rehabilitation, will all vie for special dimen-

sions, temperatures, times and space withinthe natatorium.

An unfortunate outcome of this battle for

water rights is that a pool may be sized to

preclude certain activities unless careful

thought is given to the spaces programming

and priorities.

25 yards by

25 meters

PhotoofDartonCollegeHPERFacilitycourtesyofAquaticDesignGroup

25 yards by

25 meters

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Before you can determine the right pool

size, it is important to understand the asso-

ciated spaces necessary to support the

water itself. Not only will there be critical

adjacencies within pool-related spaces, the

pool will also likely be part of a larger recre-

ation or athletic facility, and certain global

adjacencies will be necessary to ensure

proper functioning.

A general rule of thumb is that the total net

area of the full natatorium for the bare essen-

tials (the pool and deck, changing rooms,

offices, equipment and storage areas) is equal

to three times the water surface area of the

pool. For competition venues, as well as

those with specific multiple uses, the overall

net natatorium area could increase to five

times the water surface area. The volume of

the space in which the pool is located is usu-

ally one of the largest in the building, and

should be considered a showpiece anactivity space that can be viewed from major

circulation areas or other activity spaces.

This design approach helps to enliven the

entire building and generates new user inter-

est in water sports.

The pool, the surrounding deck and the

spectator seating are the primary compo-

nents within the natatorium environment.

The pool is the largest single program ele-

ment. The second most important compo-

nent is the deck around the pool, which in

natatoriums is used primarily for instruc-

tion, coaching and preparation for activities

within the water. Appropriate dimensions

for the deck vary based on the number of

users and activities occurring in the pool

itself. At a minimum, 10 to 15 feet should be

allocated for the deck on all four sides

around the water for safety purposes. When

possible, entrances from public corridors

and locker rooms should be located at the

shallow end of the pool. The deck may need

to be wider at particular areas to accommo-

date spectators and teams, a diving program

or special out-of-water instructional space.

Competition pools usually include specta-

tor seating for a minimum of 300 to 500 peo-ple. For national meets, seating requirements

can range from 1,000 to 2,500, and for inter-

national events the number typically

increases to between 5,000 and 10,000. Spec-

tator seating can considerably increase the

building footprint. For programming pur-

What makes the

college natatoriumdifficult to design is

the sheer number and

variety of users who

will have a stake inthe final product.

t t

n

u t

CIRCLE 74 ON REPLY CARD CIRCLE 75 ON REPLY CARD

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poses, 6 net square feet for each seat should

be anticipated.

Sometimes, spectators in street clothes

are isolated from the pool deck altogether.

This is typically achieved by providing

tiered seating at an upper level with either

no access or controlled access to the pool

deck. Seating should be situated along the

length of the swim course as well as in view

of diving for larger venues, this is typi-

cally on the two long sides of the pool. In

some cases, the width of the pool deck

might be influenced by the need to protect

spectator sight lines.

Support spaces for spectators such as

toilets and concessions should not be over-

looked. For example, when considering that

some codes require one toilet and one uri-

nal for every 75 men, one toilet for every 40

women, and one sink per 150 people, clearly

such spaces can easily grow quite large.

Since toilet counts are normally based on a

peak demand time (and with spectator

events not occurring on a daily basis), it is

best to try to use other adjacent facilities

within the building if possible. Specifics

related to seating and aisle dimensions, pro-

visions for handicapped seating, as well as

toilet counts, will be driven by local building

codes and the officials interpreting them, so

it is best to meet with them earlier rather

than later in the design process.

In order to ensure a clear, usable deck,

adequate storage must be provided, typi-

cally equal to 5 to 10 percent of

the pool and deck area. If there is

a large outdoor recreation pro-

gram, additional storage may benecessary for canoes, kayaks

and/or scuba tanks. This type of

storage room is usually best situ-

ated with direct access to the

buildings exterior so that vans

can pull up to load and unload for

weekend outings.

The size and quantity of locker

and changing rooms will be based

on the number and types of users.

Swimming/diving teams and gen-

eral users may share locker areas

or have dedicated spaces with

lockers, showers and toilets. Usu-

ally there are at least two chang-

ing rooms for visitors. All of these

rooms will need direct access to

the pool deck via a wet corridor,

as well as access from an interior

lobby along a dry corridor. If tow-

els or other equipment are going

to be issued, then a dedicated

equipment issue and laundryroom within the pool program

may be desirable. If not, circula-

tion routes to those facilities

located elsewhere in the building

should be considered.

Several other ancillary spaces

should be located directly off the

pool deck. For competitions, a

meet management room will

require unobstructed views to

both swimming and diving events.Ideally, this room will be raised


Sizing Things UpHow 9,000 square feet of water becomes 38,000 square feet of natatorium.

SAMPLE POOL PROGRAM NSF NOTES

Pool (35 meter by 25 yard) 8,925 one 4 movablebulkhead

Deck 6,720 15 perimeter

Spectator Seating (500 seats) 3,000 6 square feet per seat

Public Toilets carried in other areas ofbuilding

Concessions/Tickets carried in other areas ofbuilding

Aquatics Director Office 140

Pool Managers Office 120

Lifeguards Office 100

Meet Management Office 250

Wet Classroom 450 30 people @15 squarefeet per person

Mens General Use Locker/Changing 750 200 half-height lockers@ 12x15x36

Womens General Use Locker/Changing 800 200 half-height lockers@ 12x15x36

Mens Swim/Dive Lockers 500 team of 30 - full lockers

Womens Swim/Dive Lockers 500 team of 30 - full lockers

Visiting Team Locker / Shower Room 1 400 team of 30 - bench and

pegs only

Visiting Team Locker / Shower Room 2 400 team of 30 - bench andpegs only

Steam & Sauna 200

Pool Storage 800

Laundry 400

Outdoor Rec Storage 500

Filtration / Chemical 800

TOTAL NET SQUARE FEET (NSF) 25,755

TOTAL GROSS SQUARE FEET (NSFx1.47) 37,860Source:

SasakiAssociatesInc.


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above the pool deck to improve the view.

Offices for aquatic staff and lifeguards maybe located off the meet management room.

A wet classroom accommodating 20 to 30

people for instruction and coaching pro-

vides added flexibility for groups needing to

meet in wet gear near the pool. This room

should also have direct access to the deck.

There may also be a need to locate space

for sports medicine/physical therapy space

on the pool deck or in close proximity

including hydrotherapy tanks, whirlpools,

steam/sauna rooms or other types of reha-

bilitation space.

Filtration and chemical storage rooms

should be separate from the deck storage

rooms and are ideally located at pool level

and at grade for easy delivery of chemicals

and access to the pool. The area required

for this is approximately 10 percent of the

water surface area.

Once a clear understanding of the facil-

itys users and the types of planned activi-

ties are better anticipated, you are ready toexplore pool size and configuration. How-

ever, in order to determine the right pool

size, other considerations should be kept in

mind that will influence the assignable

square footage for your pool program.

There are opportunities to build in features

such as movable bulkheads or movable

pool bottoms in order to turn one pool into

several smaller or more-shallow bodies of

water. These special features allow a single

pool to run several simultaneous programs

that would otherwise be mutually exclusive,

all while minimizing additional

pool square footage. Remember

that every square foot of pool trans-

lates to a minimum of 3 square

feet of natatorium, at about $250

per square foot.

Movable bulkheads are typi-

cally 4 feet wide and run the width

of the pool. One bulkhead sub-

divides the pool into two areas;

two bulkheads into three. For an

up-front cost of $85,000 to

$100,000 for a single movable bulk-

head, plus the associated cost of

$225,000 for the extra 4 feet of

pool, one can achieve the pro-

gramming flexibility of an addi-

tional pool. Considering that an

additional hypothetical 45 feet of

pool (just enough to accommodate water

polo) would cost approximately $2.5 mil-lion, the movable bulkhead can make finan-

cial sense.

Similarly, the movable pool floor is

another option that provides a value-added

component to your operational program. A

45-by-75-foot section of movable floor costs

approximately $250,000. With this system,

the pool depth can provide a range of

depths depending on use from 6 inches

for toddler swim; 3 feet, 6 inches for instruc-

tional uses; and 6 feet, 6 inches to 7 feet for

water polo or competition swim.

While there are many different options

for pool configuration, the three most com-

mon sizes for hosting competitions are:

25 yards by 25 meters. The 25-yard-by-

25-meter pool is the most common pool

size for colleges and universities. It provides

the required dimensions for NCAA short

course (25-yard length) competition in one

direction, and exactly half of the long

course (50 meter) length in the other direc-

tion. Since this pool is almost square inplan, it can be used for lap swimming in

both directions. A depth of 6 feet, 6 inches

is recommended at all starting platform

locations, and 7 feet is ideal for water polo,

though keep in mind that a transition to a

depth of 3 feet, 6 inches at the shallow end

will be required for general-use swim. Rec-

ommended pool depths are referenced in

various swimming and diving rulebooks,

but local building and construction codes

will prevail.This pools great advantage is that it


25 yards by30 meters

PhotoofLoyolaCollegenatatoriumb

yMaxwellMacKenzie,

courtesyofSasakiAssociatesInc.

The total net area of

the full natatorium for

the bare essentials is

equal to three times

the water surfacearea of the pool.

25 yards by30 meters

t


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allows for many uses with minimal size.

However, it can only be used for two differ-

ent limited activities, such as lap swimmingand swim instruction, simultaneously. The

water surface area is 6,150 net square feet,

and with a 15-foot deck surrounding the

water, the pool and deck area jumps up to

around 11,750 net square feet. Using the

rule of thumb mentioned previously for

determining the overall net natatorium pro-

gram (three times the water surface area),

the area would be approximately 18,500 net

square feet.

25 yards by 50 meters. For large com-

petition venues, the 50-meter pool is the

most desirable. With two movable bulk-

heads, a full range of activities can be

accommodated lap swim, diving and

recreation, or team sports like water polo.

This pool allows for both long-course and

short-course setups. Although most confer-

ence and division meets can be run on the

short course, international and national

meets will require the long-course setup.

For competition swimming in newly con-

structed facilities, the preferred number of

lanes is eight at 9-foot widths. Having eight

lanes accommodates larger teams and

more than two schools at a time.

Running a short course in a 50-meter pool

allows for diving to occur simultaneously,

with approximately 40 feet of pool length at

a depth of 12 to 14 feet needed for 1- and

3-meter diving. A completely separate diving

well provides the flexibility for diving and

swimming events to be run at the same time

when a long course is necessary.The height of the space in which the pool

is located will depend primarily on

two components: the spectator

seating layout and the diving

boards or platforms. For a 10-

meter platform, 15 to 17 feet above

the platform to the ceiling is pre-

ferred, meaning that a clear height

from pool deck to ceiling would be

approximately 50 feet. A similar

depth of 15 to 17 feet is required

for the water under a 10-meter

platform. A 1-meter springboard,

meanwhile, will require a 16-foot-

5-inch clear height from the board

to the ceiling (about 20 feet from

deck to ceiling), and an 11- to 12-

foot water depth. In all cases,

increasing the height of the ceiling

increases both initial construction and long-

term operational costs (the larger the pool,

the larger volume of air required to dissi-pate pool chemicals sufficiently to ensure

clean air).

For a 25-yard-by-50-meter pool with two

movable bulkheads, the water surface area

is 12,900 net square feet. With a 15-foot deck

surrounding the water, the pool and deck

area increases to approximately 21,200 net

square feet. The overall net natatorium pro-

gram for this pool is approximately 39,000

net square feet.

25 yards by 30 meters (35-meter

option). A common compromise between

the first two pool sizes is the 30-meter pool,

sometimes referred to as the 25-meter

stretch. This size allows for multiple user

areas similar to the 50-meter pool, yet with

considerably less surface area. The main

drawback is that it does not allow for the

long-course event.

Movable bulkheads significantly increase

the utility of the 30-meter pool. A bulkhead

can segregate swimming and diving, or

swimming and water polo. It can also pro-vide a walking surface for meet officials

along the side of the short course and the

end of the course for water polo events.

An option to the 30-meter length is the 35-

meter pool this variation is ideal for insti-

tutions with popular water polo programs.

The minimum dimensions for water polo

are 45 feet by 25 yards (the preferred

dimensions are 66 feet by 25 yards). With

the increase in popularity of the floating

cage for competition water polo, this added5 meters is necessary for the entire playing


25 yards by

50 meters

PhotoofDesertBreezeRecreationCenter,LasVegas,courtesyofAqua

ticDesignGroup

Movable bulkheads orpool bottoms allow a

single pool to run

several simultaneous

programs that wouldotherwise be mutually

exclusive.

25 yards by

50 meters

lk

u

l


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area to maintain a minimum depth of 7 feet,

while still allowing for the transition to the

3-foot, 6-inch depth at the shallowest end.

For practice, or when wall goals are used,

the water polo field can be set up running

the 25-yard dimension (across the pool),

thereby allowing diving at the deep end and

lap swim or other shallow-end activities to

occur at the same time.

The depth of a 30- or 35-meter pool will

typically range from 3 feet, 6 inches to

14 feet. As with the 50-meter layout, two

1-meter and two 3-meter springboards are

necessary for competition diving events.

Platforms above 3 meters will require more

depth and clearance to the ceiling.

The water surface for a 35-meter pool

with one movable bulkhead is 9,000 net

square feet. With a 15-foot deck surround-

ing the water, the pool and deck area is

approximately 15,650 net square feet. Theoverall net natatorium program for this

pool is approximately 27,500 net square

feet, significantly smaller than the 50-meter

pool natatorium.

Although the pools described above

are the most common sizes and shapes for

collegiate programs in the United States,

there are an unlimited number of hybrid

configurations a pool could take to meet

particular program needs from L and

T shapes that provide diving notches, all

the way to freeform water bodies for leisure

pools.

In making your choice, remember that

there are other complex considerations.

Setup time for a variety of uses must be

accounted for in the operations schedule.

Larger pools require larger operations and

lifeguarding staffs. Smaller pools generally

need three lifeguards on duty during recre-

ational use; the 50-meter pool may require asmany as six. Ideal water temperature ranges

from 78 to 82 degrees for water polo and ath-

letics, but 84 to 88 degrees for recreation. A

single pool, even with bulkheads, can only

maintain one water temperature at a time.

Is there a most appropriate pool size for

your educational facility? You will need to

understand the user groups and the desired

activities, and be prepared to prioritize

among them, since multipurpose venues

usually compromise certain aspects of the

natatoriums utility. Balancing these para-

meters with construction and operating

budgets will usually result in several

options, each of which carries advantages

and disadvantages.

The reality for many colleges and univer-

sities in North America is that the campus

pool is a shared facility. If in fact the pool is

intended to be a multipurpose facility, then

overall flexibility is key in the planning and

programming phase. The specific balance

between program and scheduling require-ments, and financial and physical con-

straints, will determine the ideal pool size

for a specific institution.s

Brad McCord ([email protected]) is a

senior associate and Nancy Freedman is a

principal with Sasaki Associates Inc., 64

Pleasant St., Watertown, MA 02472, 617/926-

3300. Randy Mendioroz (randy@aquatic

designgroup.com) is a principal with Aquatic

Design Group, 1950 Kellogg Ave., Carlsbad,CA 92008, 760/438-8400.


Diagram

scourtesyofSasakiAssociatesInc.

Measurefor Measure

The three mostpopular sizes of

competition pools,by the numbers.

f r

The three mostpopular sizes of

competition pools,by the numbers.

Documents

Size Wise-Mar05 Athletic Business