In this week's On the Boards highlight, Project Manager Lance Higgins takes us to the past with an Aquatics Center design in the 1930's Art Deco Style.
Anaheim High School Aquatics Center
The district has a condemned pool located near the heart of their athletic complex that was originally constructed in 1939. While historically interesting, it wasn’t able to comply with modern standards; therefore, it was not able to be utilized by the high school. We were brought on board to do some master planning regarding pool locations and sizes that would meet the district’s needs. The final approved location ended up being in the same place as the original one; however, would include a much more robust aquatic support complex to accompany it.
What makes the project interesting is the historic nature of the site. The original pool and surrounding buildings were constructed in the iconic Art Deco style of 1939 and much of the existing pool equipment and infrastructure is still in place. Our team has done an excellent job of staying true to the character of the existing campus while providing them a 21st century aquatic complex to support it. The building design in particular includes detailing and features that cause the new project to fit right into and beautify the existing campus.
There are many challenges regarding existing conditions with such an old building. Non-code compliant paths of travel, building equipment, and fixtures are just some examples. It takes a great deal of consideration to address all of these issues while protecting the historical relevance of the building.
The original 1930’s Equipment Room