STA POOL PLANT – SWIM SCHOOL POOL
A Pool In A Car Park – Is This The Future?
In this edition, Luke Griffiths, Qualification Development Manager (Pool Plant) at STA’s awarding organisation Safety Training Awards highlights an unusual pool build project and the challenges it posed for those involved with it
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t’s SPATEX time; a time when the industry gets together to share new ideas and developments for the coming year. On this theme, Luke Griffiths from STA’s awarding organisation Safety Training Awards, recently went to visit a new swimming pool build, which has uniquely been located within a multi-storey car park He spoke to the pool owner Prakash Patel, plant installer Chris Elsom and pool consultant Martyn Hardy, who is presenting at STA’s pool plant conference at SPATEX about this extraordinary build in the centre of Bolton.
The Swimming Pool Owner – Mr Prakash Patel, Splish Splash Time
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO BUILD AND OWN YOUR OWN POOL? I have for a long time identified that the provision of suitable fit for purpose pool facilities to deliver swimming programmes of various levels is poor and needed addressing, especially from my perspective in the Bolton area. Although the project was difficult and a major financial commitment, I know in the long term the facility will become a central hub of activity and a place where young children will develop fantastic new skills, and where parents will benefit from socialising and supporting each other.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CHOOSE A MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK AS A VENUE?
and changing rooms, insulating the building to minimise heat loss and making decisions on materials that would last in a swimming pool environment. These are all areas that are not customer facing so are not aesthetically pleasing, but as I have experienced since becoming operational, they have been essential in ensuring we have a venue that can be easily maintained and cleaned.
WHAT WAS THE MOST ENJOYABLE THING ABOUT THE PROJECT? Watching a space that most people thought wouldn’t work, transform into the space that always surprises people when they walk in. I work in construction and the project tested my skills too, which is something I enjoyed.
WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO ANYONE LOOKING TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR? Understand why you want to do the project and what the long-term aim is. The planning and design stage is essential to success. Research the team you need to help with the build. A venue is a massive commitment and requires additional skills with regards to understanding maintenance, quality control and managing personnel – in addition to the specialist technical skills required around designing a safe swimming pool and plant facility. My main advice is to get the correct, professional advice before embarking on a project of this type.
I agree it’s not a natural choice! When viewing the space for the first time all that I could see were car park pillars and a small office where the previous owners kept their paperwork. The venue itself is unusual but that was part of the appeal, because it lends itself to an industrial look and I wanted the venue to have a design that was different to any other swimming pool that I’ve seen. As we have families with younger children, I also wanted the convenience of being able to park undercover and just outside the facility, so I could make the experience easier.
Operational staff have completed either the STA Level 3 Award in Pool Plant Operations or the STA Level 2 Award in Swimming Pool Water Treatment. These qualifications have expanded their knowledge base in terms of operating pools, and they also have the benefit of the Pool Oracle consultancy service to support them in their daily operational practices.
WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU OVERCOME?
The Pool Consultant – Martyn Hardy, Pool Oracle
The biggest challenge was ensuring all the structural design and build was to a standard that could support long term use. Making sure the drainage was adequate for the pool
In my opinion, the main unique feature is where this facility is located. There are many
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YOU TALK ABOUT THE POOL PLANT FACILITY, WHAT POOL PLANT TRAINING HAVE YOU COMPLETED AND HOW HAS IT HELPED?
projects out there looking at converting industrial units, retail outlets and public houses to name a few, but to put a leisure facility in the basement of a multi-storey car park shows a tremendous vision as far as the client, Mr Patel, is concerned. Another unique feature is the stainless steel tank. I have seen many of these constructions utilised in a hydro-pool environment, but to construct an 11.5 metre x 5.5 metre swimming pool (pool size was restricted by the support pillars in the basement) again shows tremendous vision by Mr Patel. It also contributes massively in providing a unique selling point in promoting the facility. No re-lining or tiling issues with this pool tank, therefore resulting in a greatly reduced maintenance budget long term.
WHAT WERE THE KEY ASPECTS OF THE DESIGN FOR YOU? My main focus has been on working with Mr Patel and the contractors to create what I term a “box within a box concept”. Many projects have open aspects to their buildings with changing areas for example being open to the poolside, but this can create issues with regulating air temperatures and air changes within these areas. By sealing/ containing the pool area and making it standalone, will greatly assist in controlling and maintaining temperatures with the additional aid of technology. Believe it or not, the control of the air temperature and humidity is just as important as maintaining a suitable operational water temperature, especially if you want to create a building that will have a long life expectancy. Operationally and due to the nature of the
WHAT ARE THE PROJECT’S UNIQUE FEATURES?
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk 17/01/2019 16:15