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The Harris Y Team:
Jay Ames
Arnulfo Chavez
Burgos
Duel Colburn
Roger Eudy
Grant Huffstetler
Terry Johnston
Kevin Patton
David Puckett
Lesa Walker
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Above: Looking across the all-purpose
pool, lap pool, and play pool. Right:
Early stages of roof construction.
Below: Dramatic setting for swimmers.
"First of its Kind" Indoor Water Park:
Unique Design, Unusual Material
wimmers at Charlotte's Harris
YMCA might want to do the
backstroke to get the full effect of
their new 20,000-square-foot
indoor water park. The facility
features a dramatic ceiling that
appears to float over the water.
The Aquatics Complex, adjoining
the Y's extensive outdoor pools,
opened in November 2002 to rave
reviews from Y staff and members,
thanks to the thought and
dedication that were brought to
this project's special challenges.
The park, which includes an all-
purpose pool, lap pool and play
pool with 22-foot water slide,
replaces a smaller single pool that
could not accommodate the Y's
rapidly growing number of
swimmers. More important than its
size is its unique design, with colorful
wall murals and a soaring roof.
In addition to the complete water
park (only the second YMCA
indoor water park in the U.S.),
Rodgers demolished the previous
pool, expanded the parking lot,
built a 6,000-square-foot locker
room addition, and a pump house
for the outdoor pools.
Fighting Corrosion
To eliminate the corrosion
problems of the previous
structural steel facility, architect
FWA Group turned to an old but
unusual alternative--wood, in the
form of natural pine with a clear
sealer. With a 30-foot interior
height and a continuous glass
clerestory that makes the roof
appear to float over the building,
the effect is dramatic and the
corrosion problem was solved.
However, the use of wood led to
unusual construction hurdles that
engineer Tripp Bulla of Bulla Smith
Design and Rodgers worked
together to solve.
