Latest Publications

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.

Read the full whitepaper

Editors: Darryl Condon, Warren Green, Gar Holohan, RJ Houston, Jens Oyas Moller, Frederic Tomarchio. 
Chaired by Stefan Kannewischer.

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.

Read the recommendations

Author: IAKS Pool Expert Circle

International pool case studies

Sports facilities – sports halls, outdoor recreation, artificial ice rinks, swimming pools and the like – are highly complex and have costly ongoing operational requirements. Over a facility’s lifetime, operating costs far exceed the construction costs; so careful planning is essential to ensure that the facility meets the needs of both users and the operator. While architectural design and experiential quality are key components for success, it must be ensured that ‘design follows function’. 

Across the world, ownership models and project delivery processes vary considerably. In many countries, conventional sports facilities are funded and owned by the public or initiated and controlled by the public sector. The construction or retrofit of public buildings occurs infrequently, sometimes only once every few decades. Therefore, it is common that decision makers have minimal experience when delivering these complex public projects for the first time. Unfortunately, this can lead to projects being approached incorrectly or mismanaged. As such, it is essential to involve specialists to appropriately plan all stages of the project – from the pre-planning (or concept) stage through to operation.

This article presents an overview of an effective and goal-driven project process. It outlines the key project stages as shown in the diagram below, as well as the activities that must occur during each of these stages for a project to meet its full potential. 

Read the Pool case studies

Editors: Warren Green, Haymo Huber, Darryl Condon, Jakob Færch, Christian Kuhn, Padraig Byrne, Bjørn Aas, Ruth Pujol Blume, Dr Stefan Kannewischer, Mike Hall 

IAKS future trends 2020 for sports and leisure facilities

With these future trends, IAKS wishes to outline important developments for professionals and non-professionals involved in sports and leisure facilities around the world. These propositions describe aspects and trends observed by experts and do not claim to be exhaustive. Their order does not reflect their relative importance, and some of them are contradictory. Not surprising, as our world has become more complex and there is no one correct solution. The various needs and developments at a location have to be grasped if a sustainable solution for a specific sports and leisure facility is to be arrived at.

Public space as leisure facility
The individualisation of our society and new ways of working with blurring boundaries between work and leisure are leading to stronger demand for individual sports like swimming, jogging and cycling. These are often performed in public spaces that are not limited by opening hours, e.g. cycling tracks without crossroads like the idea of skycycle in London.

This calls for multifunctional and safe public spaces. At the same time, workplaces need to integrate facilities for physical activities. Another opportunity is to open sports facilities (especially sports halls) to the individual, e.g. the Danish idea of sports halls as “indoor commons“.

Read the Future Trends 2020

Editors: Dr Stefan Kannewischer, Conrad Boychuk, Jesús del Barrio Díez, Horst Delp, Jorge Ehlers, Klaus Meinel, Yoshiko Osamura