SERA Architects designed the East Portland Community Center Aquatics addition, which adds 24,000 sf to the existing community center to create a full service complex that provides a diversity of recreation needs for the citizens of East Portland and beyond. The addition includes a new family leisure pool (with water slide, current channel, warm water lap lanes, and play features) as well as a spa and a 4-lane, 25 yard lap pool. In order to create a facility that is both functional and fun to be in, the design team focused on key areas: a bright daylit environment to minimize energy use, a well-designed mechanical system that ensures proper air quality without blowing air on swimmers, and an advanced pool filtration system that dramatically reduces the quantity of water used for pool filtration. These strategies allow the building to save 60% more energy and more than one million gallons per year when compared to a similar facility.
An 85kw solar array was installed right after the pool opened. This addition, together with the City’s green building policy which mandates LEED Gold Plus, is the reason the project was able to be certified at the LEED NC 2.2 Platinum level. The project was able to achieve its green building goals without adding significant cost, by taking advantage of the incentives offered through the State of Oregon’s Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC) and the Energy Trust of Oregon. SERA worked closely with Portland Parks & Recreation and stakeholder groups to deliver a comfortable experience for pool users while also exceeding the City’s sustainability goals.
