Black Friday Plan of Attack

All-purpose solution: the all-purpose aquatics facility uses the latest technology to create multigenerational appeal and programmability.(All-Purpose Facility)

Aquatics International July 1, 2004 | Quay, Bruce; Dunn, Jim Today’s aquatics facility, is no longer just about a single body of water. It’s about a community – and meeting all the needs of that community, from water aerobics to water slides. Building a facility that meets those needs takes careful planning and an even more careful understanding of what your community wants. But regardless of the budget or the community, every facility must be built with enough flexibility to literally be all things to all people.

The good news is that technology now exists to make this dream facility a reality. The bad news is that many communities still aren’t taking advantage of what’s available. That’s unfortunate because when you build an all-purpose facility, you not only create more public excitement about the project before construction, but you also ensure that it will be sustainable for the long term. It’s all about providing multigenerational activities and generating enough programming revenue to keep the facility sustainable. this web site planets for kids

By keeping those two goals in mind – multigenerational appeal and programmability – we designed what truly can be called the ultimate facility. From movable floors, to lazy rivers to a warm spa, every aspect of this facility was designed with flexibility and sustainability in mind.

Here’s a look at how all the components knit together to create long-term interest and promote healthy lifestyles.

We start with a roofing system that creates all-season usability through natural lighting. Made of an engineered transparent material, it is light enough for architectural flexibility, but durable enough to handle winter climates while retaining heat. It also has the ability to let in up to 85 percent of the sun’s UV light characteristics. These rays are what allow trees to grow and people to tan. What’s more, the material is acoustically transparent, meaning it will alleviate the echo-chamber effect found in many indoor facilities.

Next we take a fresh approach to the traditional competitive pool. At first glance, this six-lane pool looks like any other. But look closer at the design and you’ll notice three key differences: a movable floor, movable bulkhead and a wave-generation system. These three features transform the simple competition pool into an all-purpose swimming/water aerobics venue.

The movable floor goes from 10 feet deep to zero-depth with infinite positions in between. The bulkhead can move the length of the pool – and the possibilities are endless. For instance, with the movable floor, one hour you can have a competitive swimming event, and the next you can move the floor up and have a water aerobics class for seniors.

The movable bulkhead (with enough room for guards) provides the same flexibility, allowing you to divide the pool up into different sections, including both 25-yard and 25-meter competitive lengths.

This kind of flexibility also allows your facility to change with the times so that when the next water exercise craze hits, you’ll be ready.

Another aspect of this untraditional traditional pool is the wave generator. Again, the idea is the flexibility and programmability that turn flat water into fun water. The wave generator builds in more of that. Rather than just offering lifeguard training, you can now offer rough-water swim training or kayaking lessons, or any other rough-water activity you can think of. And it’s a sure-fire way to amp up your birthday party concessions. one pool that was recently renovated to include a wave system increased its per-child rate by 40 percent.

If a little wave is that popular, imagine what a real surfing/body boarding experience will offer. That’s where the flow boarding system comes in. This feature is key to attracting the biggest demographic challenge: teens. Playing off the popularity of snowboarding and skateboarding – the fastest growing sport on the planet for kids 14 to 18 – the surf generator allows body boarding and stand-up riding that’s affordable in the overall context of a facility. It also ties in with the concept of life sports: sports that kids take up as youths and continue throughout their adult lives.

From teens, let’s move on to children and the wet deck area of our dream facility. Again the deck is carefully designed with multigenerational appeal in mind. Divided into zones, the deck features the lighter sprays closer to the zero-depth entry for toddlers, with heavier gushers closer to the multilevel play structure for older kids. With its tree-house appeal, the play structure itself is a great way to build in interest for kids of all ages. And with the nearby lounge area, parents and grandparents can easily keep an eye on the kids while enjoying the sun and fun.

The adjacent lazy river also is designed for multigenerational appeal, with a current you can float along or swim against. We’ve designed this one with some additional fountains and geysers along the way that make it more fun. Those looking for more of a thrill can always zoom down the adjacent body slide – a staple of any aquatics facility these days.

When it’s time for good old-fashioned fun, there’s a nonstructured multipurpose play area. This is a great place for kids to play together or individually, and for activities such as water basketball, underwater hockey and the like. Whatever the open-water activity, it’s an important component of the facility that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Taken together, all these elements create a facility that appeals to the young, old, active and nonactive users.

While budgets must be considered, don’t forget that your customers’ willingness to provide upfront Capital has everything to do with what you design in and sell to them. Imagine trying to raise capital with just a traditional pool. Then imagine going to that same group with this plan.

Providing the right mix of features and activities at the outset is a lot more cost-effective than having to add them three or four years down the road because of customer demand or competitive pressures.

The Dream Works FACILITY (A) Indoor, all-purpose center – 30,000 square ft., with engineered transparent roofing system [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (B) Flow boarding system with observation deck [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] COMPETITION/PROGRAM POOL [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (D) Movable floor and bulkhead for multiprogrammable pool [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (E) Wave generator [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WET DECK AREA (F) Wet deck – 1,750 sq. ft. go to site planets for kids

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (G) Warm spa with hydrotherapy jets – 250 sq. ft.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (H) Multilevel play structure with interactive waterplay elements, slide jets and tipping buckets – 215 sq. ft. with 1,800 sq. ft. of play pool water [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (I) Lounge area [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS (J) Lazy river with interactive waterfeatures – 200 ft. long [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (K) Multipurpose play area – 30-by-50 ft.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (L) Body slide with tower – 150 ft. long [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ADDITIONAL FEATURES * Water jets * Gurgling springs * Fountains * Floor bubblers * Spray hoops * Dancing waters The Dream Designers BRUCE QUAY Principal Aquatic Development Group, Cohoes, N.Y.

JIM DUNN Director, Architecture and Engineering Quay has 25 years of manufacturing management experience, with more than 20 years dedicated to various director roles within the aquatics industry. Prior to joining ADG, he was president and CEO of Cookson Plastic Molding, with divisions that included Pacific Industries.

Dunn, with 17 years of waterpark development/construction experience, has helped pioneer some of the most progressive water filtration systems. Blizzard Beach (orlando, Fla.), Wet’n Wild (orlando, Fla., and Brazil) are just a few of the waterparks for which he has managed the design, filtration, and/or construction.

Quay, Bruce; Dunn, Jim

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