Fast Company: Baltimore designs a better public swimming pool

Our team helped Baltimore City Recreation and Parks (BCRP) design five neighborhood pools all rooted in a "kit of parts" approach that are then customized to meet specific community needs.

It's all part of the City of Baltimore's mission to help erase decades of pool segregation and expand equitable access to facilities for all city residents. The ultimate goal is that no Baltimore resident is more than a walk away from a pool where they can learn to swim, relax, cool down and exercise.

As Fast Company points out, "The idea is that well-functioning public pools for all are key to healthier cities from the perspectives of climate adaptation, social cohesion and more. (Baltimore's efforts) show how cities across America could reinvest in this critical public infrastructure."

The pools truly offer multigenerational opportunities for recreation across a family pool, lap pool and bathhouse at each site, with some slightly differing features at certain pools.

The Fast Company piece details the diverse offerings by sharing that "the shallow pool with zero-entry is tailored for young children and their caretakers, seniors and those with limited mobility, or anyone else who prefers the shallow end.

The larger pool can be cordoned off for lane swimming swimmers while leaving room for those who just want to play around. Then, CannonDesign integrated special features like massive pipes and sprinklers that drop water into the pools from above."

The fourth of the five pools our team designed, Greater Model Aquatic Center, just opened with a celebration that included Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the final pool should open next summer.

The pools have been met with great enthusiasm and turnout. In addition to Fast Company, other media including The Baltimore Banner, Metropolis and local media have all profiled the new aquatic spaces.