Building Award

Name and Address of Submitting Firm:
GMB

Name of Owner / Developer:
Gary Feenstra, Superintendent
Zeeland Public Schools

Name of General Contractor / Construction Manager:
Lakewood, Inc.

Premise: This project represents a community with a longstanding tradition of excellence in aquatic programs. The community recreation promotes wellness through aquatic programs and their high schools perennially lead the state in swimming, diving and water polo. Having outgrown an existing facility, they bonded for a new natatorium. It’s primary function was to provide their high schools a competition venue rivaling collegiate facilities, while secondarily enhancing the recreation dept. offerings.

Collaboration: The original desire was for a stand alone facility serving the community rec. dept. & both of the community’s high schools. The final solution was developed as an addition to one of the existing high schools. This design solution provided an enhanced value at a lower cost by benefiting from existing infrastructure.

Design: The design concept was to promote a fluid machine like nature of a competitive aquatic venue. The sun control devices are an example that provide visual excitement, and promote the machine like feel while carefully and exactly promoting the competitive function (eliminating direct glare). Other details enhancing the concept; stainless steel componentized handrails, exposed geometric structure, state of the art aquatic technology.

The owner desired natural light in the pool area. The challenge was balancing recreation’s desire to maximize natural light and the competitive teams’ concern with direct glare. The solution floods the interior with true full spectrum light via a clerestory on both sides of the pool. The light is controlled to avoid contact with the water via sunshades, louvers, and translucent canopies. The exterior sunshade is a dramatic exterior expression that announces an exiting interior space, but also functionally serves as shading for the fenestration on its façade.

The louvers on the lower portion of the glazing shield direct sunlight from contacting the water surface and also reduce the need for artificial light by bouncing natural light up into the space.
The ‘canopy’ over the spectator area is a translucent diffuser filtering and reflecting direct sunlight from adjacent clearstory windows, providing soft natural light throughout the space. The canopy also provides an appropriate scale for the spectators area. The curved roof efficiently provides the needed height at the spectator side of the natatorium, but also suggests the machine-like motion that is associated with the aquatics.
The entry offers a panoramic view of the natatorium from both the lobby and its stair as one ascends to the spectator area. A glass wall is designed to provide interaction between the pool and lobby guests, promoting excitement and desire to participate in its aquatic programs. The lobby is strategically placed to serve the Natatorium as well as a future performing arts space. It’s location also allows for an easy pool rental to community members that segregates from the high school.

Quick tour: The natatorium was developed as a venue for advanced users and deep water programs. All details were developed to provide the athletes with a competitive advantage. The natatorium houses a (10) lane competition pool, (16) practice lanes, (2) 1 meter & (2) 3 meter springboards, competition and practice water polo. The pool includes a movable bulkhead providing for a 33 1/3 m, 25m or 25yd competition length. The bulkhead also gives recreation flexibility of concurrent programs in the same pool. The 25yd pool width allows for (16) lanes of swimming in the perpendicular direction. Competitive speed of the pool is enhanced w/ wave reducing gutter design, 8’ pool depth and under floor water inlets. Other features include a state-of-the-art 21’w x 11’h full color LED video / electronic timing system with custom RJP starting blocks and underwater camera, e-dive scoring adjacent to dive area, computer controlled chemical feeders, home and visitor team locker rooms, and a 552 seat spectator viewing area designed to serve both a high energy crowd and provide a relaxed retreat while waiting for an upcoming competitive event. The upper concourse is carpeted, including restrooms, a café and concessions area to ‘do your own thing’ while waiting.