The 6.4-acre park serves swimming enthusiasts of all ages, with a junior Olympic competition pool, adult swimming facility, family pool and spa. The park’s 3,700-sq-ft cast-in-place community building complements the aquatic environment with exposed structural steel, cedar wood elements, vertical IPE wood covering, Venetian plaster and handmade tile. Angled, stacked roof decks and plaster “canyon walls” were inspired by the rock formations at the nearby Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park.

Other features include a playground with shade structures, a Zen garden and fountain and a seed library demonstration space, which situated next to a large open-area with raised garden planters to provide a space for workshops, events and growing organic produce.

Designed as a net-zero-energy-use facility, the park features a geothermal heating system that controls water temperature through a closed-loop system consisting of twenty 400-ft-deep holes. Other sustainability features include solar panel arrays, a building orientation that optimizes solar gain and natural light, high-performance windows and doors, and large roof overhangs and soffits to provide shade in key workspace areas.

Challenged to complete the new park on a fast-track schedule, the project team utilized intensive 3-D modeling to fine-tune the community center’s design elements. This allowed subcontractors to resolve constructability issues in advance of fabrication and construction. Limited ceiling space required careful coordination between structural steel, wood framing, drywall, roofing and mechanical subcontractors to formulate a layout that accommodates all equipment and ductwork while also working within rigid structural parameters and meeting code requirements for access and serviceability.