There are 29 major conference championship competitions being held over the next four weeks. 22 of these meets will be held at a facility that was either designed or renovated by Counsilman-Hunsaker. Here is a sneak peek at those Counsilman-Hunsaker designed pools that will be the major focus of attention over the next two weekends:
AI and Barrie Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center
Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, MA
Host of the 2017 NEC Women’s Championship
The Al and Barrie Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center includes an indoor 50-meter pool with eight lanes, moveable bulkhead, 1-meter and 3-meter springboards, 5-meter platform diving tower, separate 25-yard pool with six lap lanes.
Fun fact: In 2003, MIT’s Al and Barrie Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center received Athletic Business magazine’s ‘Facility of Merit’ award for outstanding design.
Allan – Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center
University of Tennessee; Knoxville, TN
Host of the 2017 SEC Men’s & Women’s Championship
This 72,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art swimming and diving facility is highlighted by an eight lane 50-meter by 25-yard competition pool, separate diving well with diving tower, seating for 1,800 spectators, and a spacious deck area to comfortably accommodate up to 2,000 additional competitors during meets.
Fun fact: The center also includes a weight room, training room, and the University of Tennessee Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame.
Boilermaker Aquatic Center
Purdue University;, West Lafayette, IN
Host of the 2017 Big Ten Women’s Championship
Completed in 2001, the Boilermaker Aquatic Center features a 50-meter competition pool with eight lanes, two movable bulkheads, separate diving well with diving tower, mezzanine seating for 800 spectators, and a 12-person warm water whirlpool spa.
Fun fact: The “Purdue ‘P’” on the bottom of the diving well measures 15’ tall by 26’ wide.
CRWC Natatorium
University of Houston;, Houston, TX
Host of the 2017 AAC Men’s & Women’s and the WAC Men’ & Women’s Championships
Originally opened in 2003, the University of Houston commissioned Counsilman-Hunsaker to perform an operations assessment in 2013. The goal of this study was to evaluate the functionality, operational utilization, financial and strategic elements of the aquatic program and facilities, and to benchmark against best practices. Renovations were completed in order to bring the facility up to the standards of a national level competition pool.
Fun fact: The pool at the CRWC Natatorium is 228 feet 11 inches long, making it the longest competitive pool in the state of Texas.
Gabrielsen Natatorium
University of Georgia;, Athens, GA
Host of the 2017 CCSA Men’s & Women’s Championships
The natatorium was appropriately named after University of Georgia’s former head coach, B.W. Gabrielsen, who helped mold the swim program into what it is today. The Gabrielsen Natatorium features a 50-meter competition pool, two movable bulkheads, mezzanine-style seating accommodating up to 2,000 spectators, diving well with springboards and diving tower complete with – sparger bubbler system, and a 25-yard recreational pool with eight lap lanes.
Fun fact: The facility was the official training site for guest Olympic swim teams at the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta, as well as the site of subsequent swimming and diving National Championships.
IU Natatorium
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis;, Indianapolis, IN
Host of the 2017 Summit League Men’s & Women’s Championships
The IU Natatorium at IUPUI is recognized as one of the fastest pools in the world with records set by athletes from many countries. “The Nat” has hosted numerous prestigious swim events, including the 1981 Olympic Festival, the 1987 Pan American Games, NCAA Championships, USS National Championships, and the Big Ten Championships.
The facility features a 50-meter competition pool with eight racing lanes, a 50-meter instructional pool, moveable floor, a separate diving well with diving tower, and two underwater windows.
Fun fact: Seating for up to 4,700, spectators makes it the largest indoor pool in the United States.
Katherine Moran Aquatics Center
Brown University;, Providence, RI
Host of the 2017 Ivy League Women’s Championships
The Katherine Moran Aquatics Center is a LEED Gold- certified aquatics center and is comprised of a 13,750 square foot. stretch 50-meter by 25-yard competition swimming pool, an additional warm up/warm down lane, two moveable bulkheads, a 1-meter and 3-meter springboards, and spectator seating for 800 patrons.
Fun fact: The roof of the aquatics center features an array of solar panels – (the largest hybrid solar-powered electrical and heating installation in the United States –) that generate enough power to light the building and enough thermal energy to heat the center’s million-gallon pool.
McAuley Aquatic Center
Georgia Institute of Technology;, Atlanta, GA
Host of the 2017 ACC Men’s & Women’s and USA Women Championships
The City of Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, during which the swimming and diving competitions were held at the McAuley Aquatic Center. At the time, the pool was an outdoor facility.
In 2004, Counsilman-Hunsaker served on a team to convert the freestanding pavilion into an indoor natatorium. Today, the facility hosts a number of high-level competitions every year with an ability to seat 1,900 spectators.
This world-class venue features a ten lane, 50-meter by 25-yard competition pool with two bulkheads and a moveable floor, plus a separate diving well with diving tower.
Fun fact: When the facility underwent renovation in 2004, the existing roof structure needed to be maintained as part of an ongoing, long-term, solar energy research project.
Texas A&M Student Rec Center Natatorium
Texas A&M University,; College Station, TX
Host of the 2017 Mountain West Conference Women’s Championship
The University of Texas A&M’s world-class nNatatorium recently completed a major renovation, adding a 6-lane 25-yard pool to the other three pools at the Rec Center. The natatorium is comprised of six bodies of water; – four pools and two spas. The competition pool is 50-meters by 25-yards with two movable bulkheads, four springboards, and an underwater viewing window. The diving well features two 1-meter and two 3-meter springboards, diving tower, sparger bubbler system, bubble and spray surface agitation systems, and an adjacent 8 person in-ground whirlpool spa. The outdoor pool is comprised of a 6-lane lap pool with an attached recreational area and spa.
Fun fact: In 1997 the Texas A&M Natatorium hosted the inaugural Big 12 Conference championships.
University of Iowa Natatorium
University of Iowa;, Iowa City, IA
Host of the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Championship
The University of Iowa, the UI Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the UI Recreational Services joined together to develop a 215,000 square foot. Campus Recreation and Wellness Center that opened in 2010. The facility features a 13,000 square foot. competition pool large enough to host 25-yard, 25-meter, and 50-meter competitions, 1,200 spectator seats, video display board, and includes a 4,400 square foot. diving well complete with springboards and diving tower.
Fun fact: In 2011, the facility received the “‘Facility of Merit’” award from Athletic Business Magazine.
WPI Sports and Recreation Center
Worcester Polytechnic Institute;, Worcester, MA
Host of the 2017 America East Conference Women’s Championship
In September 2012, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) opened its 145,000 square foot. Sports and Recreation Center. The 9,600 square foot natatorium features a stretch 25-yard competition pool with 10 lap lanes, two 1-meter springboards, and one 3-meter springboard for both recreational and competitive use.
Fun fact: The roof has a rainwater collection system that captures and stores an estimated 800,000 gallons of fresh water each year.
ABOUT US: COUNSILMAN-HUNSAKER
The history of Counsilman-Hunsaker is valuable in the context and the confidence it provides. Over the past 45 years, we’ve led the industry by completing more than 1,000 national and international aquatic projects of every size and complexity. In fact, many of the innovations that are now standard in the industry were conceived by our team.
Counsilman-Hunsaker believes that people of all ages are changed for the better through aquatic experiences and that our services reach beyond just solving design, or engineering or facility operational challenges. Our mission is to create aquatic experiences that transform people and communities, which supports our mantra of “Aquatics for Life”. And when we say “Aquatics for Life” we’re talking about the lives of humans we serve through every decision from conception, to the detail of daily operations. By focusing and serving the human experience, our full circle approach to everything we do allows us to be your guide every step of the way from facility audits, to program and design, thru facility creation and day to day operations.
Along the way, we’ve developed an international reputation for innovation and integrity, as people who are passionate about what they do and who do it exceptionally well. Today, our firm consists of an integrated team of designers, engineers and operational specialists with incomparable aquatic industry experience.
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Courtesy of Counsilman/Hunsaker & Associates, a SwimSwam ad partner.