With toned-down theming to evoke a seaside resort, this complex retains an elegance that is wholly appropriate for the athletic club, while paying ample space and attention to all ages
The aquatics center was laid out to seamlessly separate various …
The aquatics center was laid out to seamlessly separate various age groups. The clock tower/chimney, seen to the left, is placed prominently to serve as a landmark meeting place and beacon.
Roy Campana Photography
Style was taken into serious consideration. The colors were chos…
Style was taken into serious consideration. The colors were chosen to complement the NAC club logo. More importantly, the owners and designers chose the theme of an oceanside beach resort, so members could stay at the club and feel transported to the Jersey Shore or Atlantic City. The brick pavers, white and light blue colors, and hammock-style deck chairs offer that seaside feel.
Roy Campana Photography
The club now includes a lazy river, designed for teens and famil…
The club now includes a lazy river, designed for teens and family. Play features are simple in design and free of strong theming to avoid an over-the-top feeling but provide a relaxed air. For a visual pop, the play features have translucent color panels that reflect their hues onto the deck. To reduce the use of water, energy and chemicals, the systems include regenerative filters. Variable-frequency drives were used on all larger pumps to save on energy. Designers estimated that the water- and energy-saving measures would pay for themselves in a couple years. The features are sanitized with ozone.
Roy Campana Photography
Say the designers: “The NAC Outdoor Resort Complex is a fulfil…
Say the designers: “The NAC Outdoor Resort Complex is a fulfillment of the owner’s dream to have an all-encompassing outdoor aquatic facility to enhance the club experience for their members. The pool area itself is extensive even by private-club standards, offering way more than the typical lap pool or play pool.”
Architect: Ohlson Lavoie Collaborative
Aquatic Designer: Ohlson Lavoie Collaborative
General Contractor: Newtown Apple Construction
Pool/Spa/Waterfeature Contractor: Newtown Apple Construction
This $7.5 million renovation was taken on by the Newtown Athletic Club in Newtown, Pa. in 2013 as part of a property-wide initiative to attract more members and keep them there day and night. It included the addition of a spray pad for tots, zero-depth-entry pool for children, slides and lazy river for teens and family, as well as an adult area. The adult-only pool area seen here sits close to the bar and features lounge chairs, whirlpool and fire pit. The designers used elevation changes to enhance the feeling of separateness: To enter would feels like escaping to a new locale. The adult pool area sits 3 feet below the building, and the family pool area was set another 2 feet lower.
Rebecca Robledo is deputy editor of Pool & Spa News and Aquatics International. She is an award-winning trade journalist with more than 25 years experience reporting on and editing content for the pool, spa and aquatics industries. She specializes in technical, complex or detail-oriented subject matter with an emphasis in design and construction, as well as legal and regulatory issues. For this coverage and editing, she has received numerous awards, including four Jesse H. Neal Awards, considered by many to be the “Pulitzer Prize of Trade Journalism.”
