• Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Login
Community Rec
  • Topics
    • Community
    • Facility Development
    • Programming
    • Operations
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Continuing Education
    • Community Rec Leadership Summit
    • Webinars
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
    • Case Studies
  • Podcast
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Community
    • Facility Development
    • Programming
    • Operations
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Continuing Education
    • Community Rec Leadership Summit
    • Webinars
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
    • Case Studies
  • Podcast
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
Community Rec
No Result
View All Result
Home Programming Aquatics

Can You Build an Aquatics Center That Saves Money?

Nancy Patterson by Nancy Patterson
November 7, 2022
in Aquatics, In Print, Pro Talk
0
aquatics center that saves money
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Nancy Patterson, the director of design and business development at OpenAire, gives tips on building an aquatics center that saves money. 

The answer is yes. When you open the roof and walls of your natatorium, you are turning a normal building into an indoor and outdoor space. Plus, when you build an aquatics area with structural aluminum, you eliminate any risk of corrosion and mold. You no longer have extended closures for maintenance as you normally would.

The cost to build the space is the same as a regular pool facility, except when the roof is open you can turn off your mechanical systems. This means you are using fresh air to ventilate the space and sunshine to illuminate it, excluding emergency lighting. This can save you up to 30% on your energy bills every year. This is true even in colder climates. The savings can still offset winter heating costs.

This works particularly well for the aquatics environment in your recreation center where there is more equipment to turn off when the roof is open — think HVAC, dehumidification, etc. This can also work for the gym or other areas of your facility. An open roof allows your space to be vented at about 1,000 air turnovers per hour, not the six to eight turnovers the building code — ASHRAE — requires for a pool.

A painted aluminum facility that won’t corrode, costs less to operate and lets you be open to the public year-round sounds too good to be true. Yet there are examples of how successful this is across the nation with municipalities of all sizes and organizations like the YMCA.

It’s critical to do your research when building a space for the long term. You don’t need to accept the status quo. There are alternative construction methods with proven records. A quality builder will stand behind their product with a full warranty at a minimum of a five-year period, and will be proud to have you call their existing clients and talk about their experience.

There’s a solution that can save you money every year and reduce the burden of running an aquatics center. You just have to find it.

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Tags: aquaticsCommunity Reccommunity recreationNovember/December 2022OpenAireoperations
Previous Post

Six Questions with Denise Day

Next Post

Building an Effective Family Membership Model

Nancy Patterson

Nancy Patterson

Nancy Patterson is the director of design and business development at OpenAire. She can be reached at npatterson@openaire.com, or visit openaire.com.

Related Posts

Missoula Family YMCA
Cover Story

Missoula Family YMCA: Immeasurable Spirit

May 21, 2025
YMCA of Greater Boston
Ask The Expert

Q&A on the Healthy Habits Program at the YMCA of Greater Boston

May 21, 2025
Upace
Brand Voice

Empowering Connections: The Story of Upace and its Mission-Driven Platform

May 21, 2025
Risk Management
Features

Building a Culture of Safety with Risk Management

May 21, 2025
AI
Features

How AI is Revolutionizing Community Rec Centers

May 21, 2025
Story of Impact
In Print

Telling Your Story of Impact

May 21, 2025
Next Post
Family Membership

Building an Effective Family Membership Model

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Exposure Guide + Media Kit

May/June 2025 Issue

Get Updates in your inbox

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn

Contact us at info@communityrecmag.com

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us

The Current Issue

The Latest from CO

  • Youth Fitness Creates Lasting Engagement for Community Rec
  • Jason Kunzman on Navigating Societal Divides
  • YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago Names Adam Alonso as Next President and CEO
  • Daxko Announces Integration With GoFundMe Pro to Empower Smarter Fundraising for Nonprofits

© 2025 Community Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Community
    • Facility Development
    • Programming
    • Operations
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Continuing Education
    • Community Rec Leadership Summit
    • Webinars
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
    • Case Studies
  • Podcast
  • Buyer’s Guide

© 2025 Community Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.