JonesDBR is pleased to have worked with Populous on the new Anne & Henry B. “Hank” Paup ’70 Aquatic Center. Due to fundraising by 12th Man Foundation, the new swimming and diving expansion provides significant upgrades and additions that allow the teams to be in a central location with first class facilities. The upgraded Aquatic Center features new locker rooms, coaches’ offices, an athletic training room area, dryland training space and fueling station.
The most noticeable change is the addition of a highly visible exterior lobby that provides student-athletes, coaches and fans with a designated entrance, separate from that of the Student Recreation Center. The lobby showcases A&M’s history and accomplishments, featuring graphics and a large, built-in trophy case.
The team locker rooms received significant upgrades as each student-athlete has a solid-surface locker with wet and dry storage areas. The locker rooms are accessible off the pool deck and feature a wet storage area upon entry. The men’s and women’s locker rooms are separated by a shared 840 square-foot team lounge and fueling station.
Energy efficient LED lighting was used throughout the project. The locker rooms are served by a 100 percent outside air handling unit with an enthalpy plate heat exchanger. The exhaust from the locker rooms and other areas of the expansion route through the heat exchanger to reduce the costs associated with cooling/ heating the outside air. The other areas of the building were provided with variable air volume air handling units and terminal units zoned to provide optimal comfort.
A 1,000-square-foot rubber flooring athletic training room and rehab space were added to the new Aquatic Center. The space includes a hydrotherapy room, an area for rehab equipment, athletic trainers’ offices, a physician’s exam room and TVs. The hydrotherapy room features two custom in-ground hot and cold plunge pools.
The hydrotherapy room features specialty trench drains sized to handle the required water flow when the pools are to be drained. The water supply line for the pools is located in the pool equipment room which houses the hydrotherapy pool chillers and heaters. A deep trench with grate was built in this room along with sump pumps to drain any accumulated water.
The project also adds a dryland training space that includes an in-ground foam pit with three diving boards, as well as a tumbling area with a gymnastics spring floor. An in-ground trampoline pit and an above-ground landing mat with two diving boards were added for top-level diving training.
Coaches offices, coaches locker rooms and visiting locker rooms rounded out the project. Seven coaches’ offices as well as a conference room were added off the entryway to the building and put the coaches and student-athletes under the same roof for the first time. The visiting locker rooms received renovations similar to the A&M team locker rooms, allowing more designated space for visiting teams and club teams.