Stromlo Aquatic Centre
COX Architecture have done an amazing job on the design, making it one of the most beautiful aquatic centers SEED has been involved with. As part of the architectural narrative, COX designed a glue laminated timber roof structure over the main pool hall. Whilst common throughout Europe and other parts of the world, large timber framed structures are still rare in Australia. The glue laminated timer will provide a beautiful connection between the building and the natural landscape of the Stromlo Forest Park.
Client: | Climatech |
Work Type: | New-Build Design, Design for Sub Contractors, Pool Hall Environments |
Sector: | Lifestyle |
Size: | $36M |
Disciplines Engaged: | Mechanical |
The Challenges Faced
One of the largest challenges was minimising condensation. The expanse of glazing in Canberra’s cold climate was a big consideration. SEED had taken some thermal scanning the year before and we had recorded “night sky” temperatures at -30C. Night sky cooling was likely to be a huge impact on the glazing. Further, the client did not want to use pool blankets.
The Solution Provided
We used an old concept of “heat and vent”, as we determined there would be significant condensation occurring in the heat exchanger and it would be difficult to keep it hygienically clean.
We also created a micro-climate over the spectators so they would sit in cooler 100% fresh air, whilst the remainder of the pool hall was heated to prevent condensation.