To adhere to the design aesthetic, the lazy river, water sprays,…
To adhere to the design aesthetic, the lazy river, water sprays, and water slides were placed at the front of the facility. To blend with the setting, natural stone is used at the lobby entry, with wall colors to match. A large window area helps integrate the outdoors with inside, while providing natural day lighting. The curved, wave-like roof form evokes water and helps soften the building so it melds into the tree-lined surroundings.
Josh Meister Photography
The 18,000-square-foot outdoor space includes a leisure pool wit…
The 18,000-square-foot outdoor space includes a leisure pool with lazy river, two water slides for different age groups, water sprays and a zero-entry wading pool. The venue was created to support learn-to-swim programs, aquatic therapy sessions and aquatic exercise, as well as competitive and recreational swimming by high schools and swim clubs. Outdoor lockers and Wi-Fi add convenience. Early on, the designers worked closely with the county to set specific programming goals, to save the time and money needed for change orders and re-evaluations during construction.
Josh Meister Photography
The 46,298-square-foot enclosure was built before the pools so c…
The 46,298-square-foot enclosure was built before the pools so contractors could work in dry conditions. As much as possible, the pools were elevated above the large amount of subsurface rock to minimize the need for extraction. A "fast" 10-lane, 50-meter pool with a movable bulkhead was created using water-saving technology and innovative gutter and filtration systems. The designers placed support columns between the pool deck and another four-lane, 25-yard therapy/warm-up pool, to create separate areas while allowing easy access.
Josh Meister Photography
Say the designers: “The most impactful tool in our toolbox in …
Say the designers: “The most impactful tool in our toolbox in regards to budgeting and cost-saving measures were our programming meetings. During programing [the aquatic designer], alongside the architect, identified aquatic programming goals and objectives for the new aquatic center. From these programming meetings, designers drafted detailed designs to accommodate the programs. By ensuring that all of the user needs were met we saved time and money by not having change orders, by not having to reevaluate where we are going and what we wanted to achieve.”
Architect/Landscape Design: Cooper Carry
Aquatic Designer: Water Technology Inc.
General Contractor: New South Construction
Pool/Spa/Waterfeature Contractor: Aqua Design
Civil Engineers: Ross Consulting Engineers
Structural Engineers: Uzun + Case
MEP Engineers: Johnson Spellman & Assoc.
Geotechnical/Testing Services: NOVA
The colorful, energetic facility was meant to embrace the philosophy behind Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. Though the color scheme vastly diverges from that architectural masterpiece, the design goals were the same: to fit into the natural hillside and integrate the outdoor environment with the interior. The curved, wave-like roof form evokes water and helps soften the building so it melds into the tree-lined surroundings.
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.”
![Say the designers: “The most impactful tool in our toolbox in regards to budgeting and cost-saving measures were our programming meetings. During programing [the aquatic designer], alongside the architect, identified aquatic programming goals and objectives for the new aquatic center. From these programming meetings, designers drafted detailed designs to accommodate the programs. By ensuring that all of the user needs were met we saved time and money by not having change orders, by not having to reevaluate where we are going and what we wanted to achieve.”](https://aquaticsintl.stg.zonda.onl/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/05/1139834474-dreamdesigns2014-cherokeecountyaquaticscomplex-4-tcm128-2152171.jpg?w=551)