“El Corazon” literally means “The Heart” and provides an ideal setting to strengthen the community and provide a recreational hub for the city’s residents.

SERVICES PROVIDED

THE CHALLENGE

Previously Oceanside had two aquatic facilities, both over half a century old and no longer serving the needs of the community. Additionally, neither of Oceanside’s two high schools – El Camino High School and Oceanside High School – had pools of their own to practice or compete in. Aquatic Design Group aided our partners, Ballard*King, in conducting a comprehensive study to analyze the cost and efficacy of renovating these existing pools, or replacing them with a new pool complex that could better meet the needs of the community. The estimated cost and site constraints involved made it impossible to serve all the necessary programs within the existing facilities, which led to the City exploring another location – the El Corazon site, a 465-acre property master-planned for specialized development in the heart of Oceanside including an indoor sports arena, two hotels, town homes, retail space and offices, public trails, and additional sports fields.

The Solution

Community partnerships and collaboration were critical ingredients in the design and development of the Aquatic Center. Aquatic Design Group participated in multiple community outreach meetings were conducted to present and gather feedback from these various groups to build consensus on the design, program, and project direction.

From project kickoff through opening day, the entire design and construction teams utilized integrated design and construction management strategies to improve productivity, reduce errors, and stay coordinated throughout the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology was also used to help achieve the sustainability goals of the project where industry leading automation of building and pool systems project to drastically reduce unnecessary electricity, natural gas, and water use.

Special care was taken during design to be good stewards of environment. LEED Gold standards were used during design, although the City elected not to pursue certification. Relative to aquatics, flooded suction pumps with variable frequency drives, 97% high efficiency heaters, the latest in automation, locally-sourced equipment wherever possible, and selecting durable goods with longer life-cycles were just a few of the environmentally-sensitive elements included in the plans provided by Aquatic Design Group.

The Results

The new pools at El Corazon are surrounded by a spacious deck connected to new the support facility buildings as well as the existing senior community center’s courtyard. This small outdoor patio and central plaza separate the aquatics center from the senior center, while allowing for shared use and views between the two facilities and establishing a multi-generational community destination in the eastern portion of El Corazon. Staff and guests at the senior center enjoy the beautiful views, ease of access, and the youthful sights and sounds of children at play close by. Shaded areas are provided on various parts of the deck, including at the turf area to the south.

Indoors, there’s a reception area, locker rooms, restrooms, a staff lounge, a first-aid room, offices, a conference room and a 5,300-square-foot multipurpose room and conference center. These spaces are filled with natural light with large windows that overlook the pools and open spaces.

The new aquatic center allows for a wide range of activities that serve not only the local community but the larger region as a whole, including both competition and lap swimming in the 56-meter x 25-yard pool with moveable bulkhead; and recreational swimming and swim lessons in the 25-meter x 25-yard warm water pool, an all-access splash pad, seating and shaded areas, and a large multipurpose space and conference center that can be utilized for both public and private events. The facility has capacity to host regional swim meets and water polo as well, and complements the amenities offered by the existing El Corazon Senior Center and the SoCal Sports 21-field complex.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held at El Corazon Senior Center on October 30, 2019. Construction was completed on schedule, and the City celebrated a Grand Opening Ceremony on August 21, 2021.

project data

Owner: City of Oceanside, CA

Client: Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects

Contractor: PCL Construction

Specialty Pool Contractor: California Commercial Pools

Date Completed: Spring 2021

Aquatics Budget: $5,438,811