September 2017 - Parks & Recreation - 108

Operations

Kimley-Horn

Site plan
for the Regional
Family Aquatic Center
at Samuell Grand Park in
in Dallas, Texas.

play features, slides with run-out, shade
structures and bathhouse and are designed for a capacity of 200 visitors.
In with the New While Keeping the Old
The greatest challenge with renovating
the Samuell Grand and Tietze bathhouses
was in meeting current codes - the energy code, ADA and health services code
- in buildings that are seven decades old.
At both bathhouses, raising deck levels
to the height of existing buildings to eliminate steps, widening doorways in existing stone and brick walls, and squeezing
new program needs into existing spaces
are examples of these challenges. Existing restrooms are not ADA accessible,
are difficult to maneuver in and have inadequate plumbing fixture counts. Showers and changing stalls must replace the
single old-school, pull-chain deck shower. Codes also require the addition of hot
water, not only for the locker rooms, but
also for the concession stands that were
included as part of the project.
The concession stands also serve as a
prime example of how design and oper106 Parks & Recreation

ational choices can impact construction.
For the concession stand menu offerings
at both centers, the health services code
requires air conditioning where none
previously existed. The new HVAC system requires that the building envelope
meet the energy code, which mandates
insulation. In addition, the ADA requires specific heights for counters and
the reworking of stone openings.
At Samuell Grand, repurposing the old
bathhouse posed several challenges for
the design team, because the building did
not provide all the space to meet current
needs and was also in violation of current ADA and energy codes. The design
strategy calls for renovating the old bathhouse and constructing a new building,
doubling the space. The old bathhouse
will house a new concession stand, a
covered outdoor eating area, two family
restrooms and a storage room, while the
new building will house ticketing, office,
lifeguard and locker rooms, and a storage space. A compatible filtration building was designed to conceal equipment
and replace the old filtration yard. The

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new building adjoins the old bathhouse
and is oriented to form the entrance portal to the facility. Architects borrowed
design elements from the old bathhouse
to create a compatible aesthetic. This approach preserves an important element
of the existing facility and now provides
a focal point for the new pools.
From the very first public meeting, it
was clear that the Tietze Park neighborhood felt strongly about keeping its historic stone pool building. Similar to Samuell
Grand, its stone building, featuring large
arched entries, posed numerous challenges. The old building housed a men's
and women's restroom on one side and
small ticket office and storage space on
the other, connected by a covered entry
breezeway. Locker rooms needed to be
expanded to meet code in their existing
location, so the design team decided to
convert the entire pool building to include
a men's and women's locker room, a family restroom and equipment storage space.
This design decision meant that the ticket
office would be moved to the old concession building where it would share space
with the renovated concession space and
a small guard room. This approach relocates the pool entrance to an existing plaza in the middle of the park and allows
concessions to serve the pool and the
park. A new filtration building was also
needed and designed to complement the
architecture of the existing buildings and
replace the old equipment yard.
The ripple effect of design decisions
and the need to meet current codes have
an impact on construction budgets,
but the cost is well worth it, as we preserve the history and memories of our
fast-changing cities.
Robin Steinshnider is the Aquatic Services
Manager for Dallas Park & Recreation (robin.
steinshnider@dallascityhall.com). David Mills is
an Architect and Project Manager for the Dallas
Park & Recreation Department (david.mills@
dallascityhall.com).

September 2017 - Parks & Recreation

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