Jenks Aquatic Center

Building Strong Students.

The highly competitive Jenks swimming program conducted daily workouts in a pool more than 30 years old. Parents requested a new aquatic center worthy of the school’s long-standing tradition of swimming excellence, and this new 1,200-seat aquatic center offers a modern design and innovative systems as impressive as the athletes who compete there.

Water is the design motif that flows throughout the facility, from the “breaking wave” roof to the blue “waves” hanging from the lobby ceiling and the “river of glass” viewing area. There are even white “fins” on the exterior, which hide pipes and other mechanical equipment.

The Olympic-quality 50-meter by 25-yard pool is one of the first to incorporate the Paddock Evacuator system to exhaust chloramines from the surface of the pool through a return air chamber built into the pool gutter. This completely eliminates the harsh “pool smell.” An efficient lighting system provides illumination for televised events; yet computerized controls keep lights at energy-efficient levels for daily use, alternating bulbs are used to save on energy and bulb replacement costs.

Client: Jenks Public Schools

Location: Jenks, Oklahoma

Size: 46,358 SF

Completion date: 2012

Awards: AIA Eastern Oklahoma Honor Award

Architectural Portfolio Outstanding Design