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Why do we build pools?
The value of public swimming facilities
Swimming pools are some of the most well-used and loved public facilities. They bring people together across age, background, and ability, offering shared spaces that promote health, fun, inclusion, and social connection. Planning a swimming pool project begins by answering the simple question: Why do we build pools?
This paper serves as a tool for municipal staff and decision-makers to develop strong rationales and clear expectations for pool projects in their communities, delivering aquatic spaces with lasting social value for generations to come.
On eight pages, this discussion paper explores a broader spectrum of what pools can offer and makes the case for approaching them not simply as recreational facilities, but as strategic investments in public health, community development, and social infrastructure.
Setting clear goals early in the planning process – and reviewing progress against these goals as the project moves forward – is crucial to realizing this potential. These goals help guide design decisions, ensuring the final facility reflects the community it serves.
Editors: Darryl Condon, Warren Green, Gar Holohan, RJ Houston, Jens Oyas Moller, Frederic Tomarchio.
Chaired by Stefan Kannewischer.
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Future trends for outdoor sports surfaces
Innovative sports surface technology can help provide active environments
As sport has evolved over the past six decades, so has the technology used for the sports’ surfaces, with the move from granitic gravel to rubber athletic tracks in the late 1960’s, the adoption of watered synthetic turf fields for hockey in the 1970’s and 80’s to the advent of 3G fields for the football codes from the turn of the millennium. Now we are ready for the next generation of technology with waterless hockey fields, innovations in football turf fields, polymers made from sugar cane as opposed to petrochemicals and infills that are organic and more durable and the circular economy being a driving force for the industry.
The IAKS Expert Circle Outdoor Sports Surfaces has identified trends that reflect how the industry is embracing future needs, advancing technologies, and evolving community expectations, demonstrating industry leadership around climate change and environmental sustainability.
Authors: Bjorn Aas, Dennis Andersen, Dr Ulrich Berghaus, Nikolai Chrastka, Alastair Cox, Stefan Diderich, Matthias Eiles, Leonor Gallardo Guerrero, Jorge Fernando Garcia Unanue, Björn Hammel, Jarrod Hill, Peter Kaak, Øyvind Trygge Moltubakk, Walter Müller, Jorge Muntanola Sanz, Josep Roger, Niklaus Schwarz, Carlos Ruben Segura, Florian Szeywerth, Friedemann Söll, Douglas Wournell.
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Getting your public pool facility right
Recommendations for the delivery of public swimming pools
Communities contemplating or starting on a public swimming pool project face a wide range of questions.
This white paper from the IAKS Pool Expert Circle offers advice for successful decision making.
Highly complex project – and often unknown territory Public swimming pool facilities are a cornerstone of local community infrastructure. They provide affordable opportunities to learn life skills, exercise and socialise, all of which contribute to supporting healthy communities. At the same time, they are deceptively challenging to build and operate. Often those responsible for delivering these projects, such as municipal staff and decision-makers, are facing the challenge of a new-build or renovated pool project for the first time in their careers. As pool facilities are highly specialised and complicated projects, it is important to have the right experience and expertise available from the very beginning.
Author: IAKS Pool Expert Circle
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2023 IAKS trends report
Design trends in sports and leisure facilities are continually evolving to meet the changing needs and preferences of users while addressing emerging challenges. As the world‘s leading association for these facilities, the IAKS aims to provide an overview of recent developments and industry trends.
We have asked IAKS board members, members of our Expert Circles, as well as board members from our national IAKS sections for their observations.
This trend report summarizes their feedback, starting with the most frequently mentioned topic of „environmental sustainability“ in the areas of „construction“ and „operation“. Other topics - ranked by the number of mentions - include „social sustainability“, „health“, „planning“, „outdoor physical activity“, „economic sustainability“, and „digitalisation.
“While it is impossible to capture the full range of factors involved in current approaches to sports and leisure facility design and operation, we hope you find this summary of trends received from our world-wide network helpful as you consider the future of your facilities.
IAKS Cologne, 20 October 2023
Editors: Darryl Condon, Harald Fux, Stefan Kannewischer (Chairman), Klaus Meinel
Contact
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Firstname
Silke
Lastname
Bardenheuer
Function
Event and membership management
+49 (0) 221 168023-11
bardenheuer@iaks.sport