RECREATIONAL
Splash Country Aquatic Center
Aurora, Illinois
With a true community focus, the Splash Country Aquatic Center is designed to meet the needs of a cross section of residents while providing a consistent and cohesive sense of an agricultural / rural environment. The functional design provides a stimulating variety of aquatic activities including a main lap pool, children's pool, plunge pool, and "Lazy River", a meandering waterway encircling sections of the park. The aesthetic design of the site- including selection of planting materials, the pools and slide, and support buildings- blend contextually with the agricultural environment established by the historic Blackberry Farm, contiguous to the site.
The overall site planning consists of natural landscaped beams and a variety of planting materials. This sequence of entry is established by separating parking from the bathhouse (Main Entry) by these landscaped beams. Throughout the park both the outside and inside elements are connected by the use of similar planting and colorful flowers that compliment the entire park.
Much attention was given to ensure that maximum benefit was derived from the architectural design of each support building and the relationship between building orientation, landscaping, and pools / water slide platform area, concession stand, mechanical building and pump house.
The addition of a pedestrian bridge over the "Lazy River" enhances the charm and rural focus developed through the use of natural construction materials such as stone veneer, wood timbers and wood decking. The same is true of the construction materials used for the bath house, concession stand and the water slide platform. These buildings were constructed utilizing "natural" materials. Exterior and interior elements consisting of cedar siding and trim, exposed wood decking, wood plank flooring, and heavy wood timber design reinforces the agricultural influence from adjacent Blackberry Farm.
To reinforce the consistent agricultural theme, rural "colors" were selected as backdrops to the pool and slides. Barn red with white trim provide a uniform backdrop for the bath house and links the concession stand and other elements together. A vibrant blue with yellow trim for the water slide platforms places the focus onto the structure, linking this with other dominant primary colors used for play areas and the children's pool.
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