We have found most aquatics centre designs are over complicated especially if the engineer is not a dedicated aquatics engineer. Swimming pool construction is different to general construction. The design of the project needs to account for multiple factors not usually considered in general construction.

You need to account for the following:

1. Water filtration & sanitation
2. Heating & dehumidification
3. Water and energy losses
4. Energy consumption and conservation
5. Chemical usage and safe storage
6. The overall life of the complex
7. The combined systems of the entire complex

A pond is very different to a swimming pool. Humans spend hours in a pool and are generally submerged. During that time they will pollute the water with skin cells, oil and other bodily fluids. Add heating to this mix and you get the perfect environment for bacterial and fungal growth. It can be a complex process to ensure the water is fit for swimming and that it’s not causing skin irritations or passing pathogens between swimmers.

Saving in the construction of an aquatics facility starts with the correct planning and design, using methods and techniques that are proven to work and are easy to implement. In a lot of situations, this is not the case. Neglecting the filtration capacity to satisfy a visual design requirement can be disastrous. Failing to plan or design the structure to make proper use of the space;

Neglecting holistic design options to consider energy, sanitation, visual appeal and usability will end up costing a facility on multiple fronts.

We have seen and worked on many projects where the builder had no say in the design or the construction methods. And in some cases, entire projects were left to be run by inexperienced project managers who had little or no experience in swimming pools.

Consequently, the build sequence that should have been executed was not… turning a seamless, smooth build into a messy, disjointed project. In the end, the project ran over budget and an unhappy client ended up with a facility that did not quite meet their needs. As usual, a costly exercise in frustration ends up with a frustrated customer.

In some cases, specialist equipment is needed to build the structure; complex steps and processes are needed just to form the primary water structure. In the end, those projects are always months or even years over their original timeline when opened and the budget limit is a distant memory.

There is no need for your project to go this way. There are actual specialist engineers and builders who will work almost exclusively in water bodies and swimming pools and water sanitation. These are the people you want.

If you need someone, contact us and we’ll put you in touch with the industry best and the most reliable people for your project.