Built to make wellness accessible for all, the all-aluminum, retractable roof systems of OpenAire allow recreation spaces to thrive — rain or shine.
Before 1989, there were no suppliers of large format, 100% aluminum retractable super structures capable of spanning over 100 feet wide and engineered to suit excessive environmental loads like hurricanes and seismic tremors.
That’s when OpenAire — a premier designer, manufacturer and installer of custom retractable roof structures, enclosures and operable skylights —first began operations.
Then in 2003, the company expanded its portfolio from building primarily natatoriums, municipal pools, YMCA facilities and hotel pools to large-format indoor waterparks. Mark Albertine, the CEO of OpenAire, said since then they’ve continued to grow to meet the needs of a variety of facilities and organizations.
“OpenAire made its name in corrosion-free, day lit, energy-saving aquatics venues around North America,” said Albertine. “With natatoriums that span from coast to coast, our roots in public projects are deep and varied working with municipalities of all sizes like the YMCA, JCCs and various private clubs and hotel networks.”
Albertine said OpenAire’s products use a unique combination of key material components including aluminum, polycarbonate, glass and stainless-steel fastener. This ensures structures aren’t subject to corrosion created due to external weather conditions and internal temperature control variations beyond the norm of a typical building.
In fact, every structure from the company is custom-engineered to meet local and international building codes and environmental loads — including wind, snow, rain, seismic activity and even hurricanes. One of the company’s enclosures even withstood a direct hit from Hurricane Sally in 2020 without damage.
“OpenAire provides a true turnkey solution — design, engineering, fabrication, shipping and installation — backed by fixed contract pricing, the industry’s best warranty and full compliance with all building standards,” said Albertine. “We collaborate closely with developers, owners, architects, and engineers at every stage of a project from concept and structural calculations to shop drawings, manufacturing, installation and handover.”
Their structures operate through roof panels that retract from the apex at the push of a button, opening at least 50% of the roof to instantly transform an indoor space into an outdoor one.
Combined with openable perimeter walls, the natural stack effect that occurs improves air quality, comfort and energy performance, delivering annual energy savings anywhere from 9% to almost 30%.
Deborah Baker, the chief financial officer of OpenAire, said since it’s a global company with installations throughout North America, Europe and the Middle East, OpenAire designs and builds enclosures for every climate.
“Our structures can contribute toward LEED certification and are built to look and perform decades from now as they do on Day One,” said Baker. “Two education buildings in our portfolio are aiming for net zero certification. We also offer the best warranty in the business which is a minimum of five years on all projects. This warranty is end-to-end meaning that you have a worry-free facility. This results in a level of reliability that’s unheard of in the industry.”
The mission of OpenAire structures is to help make swimming and wellness accessible for all. That’s why Albertine said his company is perfectly designed for the community rec industry.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic for example, our aquatics facilities with open roofs and open walls were allowed to remain open to the public which kept health and wellness accessible during a time when many people were concerned about congregating in large numbers,” said Albertine. “It was fabulous to see our venues converted into pool side exercise rooms, spin classes, arts and crafts zones and more. The creative ways facilities around the country used our retractable roof venues during this strange period was really inspiring.”
That flexibility is possible because Albertine said the company isn’t just a builder of retractable roofs. They provide full buildings complete with walls, roof and superstructure — all warrantied and engineered for any environmental conditions.
This has been the regular order of business for OpenAire for the past 35 years.
“We know what works and what doesn’t and continually strive to improve what we do,” said Albertine. “We have an excellent and renowned service record and stand behind everything we build, and we never leave a client with a building that doesn’t work. Our team is there on Day One and beyond. We’re reliable and trustworthy, which shows in our continued work with regular clients time after time.”
What also makes OpenAire reliable is their structure’s ability to open in minutes in the case of unpredictable, inclement weather.
Baker explained you can quickly close the roof and continue operations. “There’s no pause in activities or services to open and close our roofs,” she said. “There’s no down time, no cancellations and no weather delays. We remain the only supplier of 100% aluminum retractable roof super structures designed to meet international building code. Our buildings are also unique in that they can be expanded in the longitudinal direction. We can remove an existing end wall and make the space larger.”
OpenAire’s ability to expand a building allows owners to phase their project as needs grow. This allows operators to plan for growth and meet demand but not to over build to start, which David Bolwerk, the VP of sales, said ensures capital expenditures meet the needs of today and tomorrow.
“Building an aquatics venue is expensive,” said Bolwerk. “However, a prefabricated enclosure built in a warehouse and erected onsite remains an economical solution on par and sometimes less expensive than the alternative of standard construction. With visible aluminum structure and glass walls, there’s no fear of corrosion or mold, especially where you can’t see it. The entire venue is visible to the naked eye so maintenance issues are eliminated.”
With rising construction costs hitting the industry, Bolwerk said OpenAire is a supplier proud of sticking to contract pricing. “If you agree to buy a building from us for a price, you will pay that price,” said Bolwerk. “The only way that will change is if you change something. We know budgets matter and as such, we’re known for keeping to what we agreed on. We don’t return asking for more.”
That steady trust is partly why OpenAire is now in various stages of design with 13 different waterparks. That continued growth allowed the company to move into a new, 75,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.
After seeing this positive trajectory for his own company, Albertine said it’s critical for community rec leaders to also consider operating costs both now and in the future as energy prices rise. He said one of the biggest keys for success in this industry is to ensure your operations are there for the long haul.
“A solution where your natatorium building can be turned off is obviously less expensive to run year-round,” said Albertine. “Even with heating in the winter, solar gain can offset operating costs still saving you money year over year. Our buildings have grown and evolved. As we’re a long-term partner through our outstanding warranty, this means you benefit from future innovation. If we improve something and you need an upgrade, we can help.”
