Acton Ostry Architects Inc.

UBC Aquatic Centre

UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter

UBC AQUATIC CENTRE

Acton Ostry Architects + MJMA

CATEGORY
Swimming Pool

LOCATION
Vancouver, Canada

ARCHITECTS
Acton Ostry Architects, MJMA

AREA
85000 ft²

YEAR
2016

PHOTOGRAPHS
Ema Peter

MANUFACTURERS
Bradley Corporation USA, Vectorworks, Glastech, American Olean, Lenox, Nemato, Neptune Benson, Spectrum Aquatics, Stark Bulkheads, ViviLED & Omega, viviLED

STRUCTURAL
Equilibrium Consulting

MECHANICAL
AME Consulting

ELECTRICAL
Applied Engineering Solutions

LANDSCAPE
MJMA + PFS Studio

AQUATICS
MJMA + Water Technology Inc.

LEED
Recollective Consulting

INTERIORS
MJMA

CLIENT
University of British Columbia

“How can this new Aquatic Centre effectively train Olympians, serve its community, and enhance the student experience.

How can it operate ‘learn-to-swim’ programs while at the same time run a 1000 person swim meet?"

UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter
UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter

In 2012, UBC sent more swimmers to the London Olympic Summer Games than anywhere in Canada and had the most successful swim team in the country.

Meanwhile, the explosive market-driven expansion of the Endowment Lands and burgeoning Campus Community has created the fastest growing youth and family population in the Lower Mainland.

UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter
UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter
UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter

The new Aquatic Centre is required to meet the needs of both these groups; a high-performance training/competition venue and community aquatic center within a single facility while engaging the Public Realm and contributing to Campus Life and the Student Experience.

PROGRAM
The 85,000 sqft program includes a 51m FINA basin, a 25m diving well with moveable floor and a warm water leisure basin.

The plan is divided north-south into 4 program bars: Changerooms, Community Aquatics, Competition Aquatics and Spectator Bleachers.

UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter
UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter

The new facility is fully accessible and inclusive, provides ideal acoustics for coaching communication and training, and all finishes and systems are designed for durability and ease of maintenance; all while visually symbolizing the eminent venue of international competition.

CONFIGURATION
The requirement to co-program elite level training and competitions with daily community use led to a 2-sided pool hall divided by a ‘Y’ shaped columns and a continuous skylight bisecting the building.

UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter
UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter

In the section, a translucent screen creates a luminous barrier between the two spaces, reflecting abundant sunlight into the ‘leisure’ side, while providing the required controlled and balanced light into the ‘competitive’ side.

SUSTAINABILITY
The Project is designed to LEED Gold standards and will pursue ‘Regenerative Neighbourhood’ goals by integrating with new campus infrastructure developments. The project focuses on daylighting, innovative water re-use and air quality strategies that are precedent-setting for North American aquatic facilities.

UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter
UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter

Water: A 3-compartment cistern will store water from the roof and adjacent transit plaza. The water will ‘top-up’ evaporative loss in the basins, provide for grey water flushing, and supply a site irrigation system.

Air: Chloromine-contaminated air will be scoured from the water surface by an air flow delivered from a central bench structure, and returned to the upper edge of the perimeter pool gutter. Developed in coordination with on-campus research, this system is intended to provide exceptional natatorium air quality and mitigate the problems of ‘swimmer’s asthma’.

UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter
UBC Aquatic Centre
© Ema Peter

Light: The sectional split brings light deep into the center of the natatorium plan, where it is reflected or diffused to provide required natural lighting condition.

A continuous ceramic fritted glazing band on three elevations and sensors for zoned lighting control respond to the level of natural light.


UBC Aquatic Centre
Site Plan and Model
UBC Aquatic Centre
Floor Plan


UBC Aquatic Centre
Section

Acton Ostry Architects Inc.
T +1 604 7393344 F +1 604 7393355
Acton Ostry Architects Inc.
111 E 8th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5T 1R8, Canada