Representatives from several different companies presented to a full house on Monday, Nov. 3, at Summerdale Hall, in hopes to enlighten the community on what they consider the front edge of innovation.
Barrhead County Council organized an open house for all who were interested in finding out more about this complex structure.
The hard cost of the project is said to total $9,529,996.
The cost includes all of the construction, the furnishings, mechanical, electrical, and so on, and is a number that the community will not see increase.
“We are not going to be coming back to you and saying oops, it’s going to be $14 million, not the case, it will likely be something less then that,” Michael Winder of Sprung Instant Structures Inc.said.
One of the individuals present during the open house was principle architect, Charles Olfert, who spoke on a variety of different topics.
Ryan Jones of Myrtha Pools was available to answer any questions regarding the innovative materials, styles, and functions that their company has to offer when constructing a pool.
Winder spoke about the membrane that has been created for the buildings, the warranty, the overall design, and the history of the company.
Also available was President of Cormode and Dickson construction, Ben Elzen with his associate Marv Gemmell, business and development manager of the company.
“The group has been selected because they can work together and they understand this technology,” Olfert said. “You need a team that can work together on these components to really get your best value.”
Olfert continued to explain that these companies were pooled together to brainstorm some ideas and come up with a hard cost on request of Barrhead County.
The companies were chosen to construct the project as a team, should the town and county move forward.
Olfert said that Myrtha Pools is known for its groundbreaking designs and ideas, and that the group is fortunate to be working with them.
“This is the Mercedes of pools,” Olfert said.
Olfert said that when it comes to Sprung Structures, there is nothing to worry about, and that the building is tough as nails.
The structures are built using aluminum struts, and a membrane that is enveloped across the span of the building.
The building is currently designed to function as a pool and be built in the location of the old aquatic centre, and according to Olfert, it saves them quite a bit of cost.
“There is some real positive things in using some of the components that are already there, and the infrastructure that is there, so clearly there is some cost savings,” he said. “We have done a design that fits on that site, but there is a number of things that could be done to make it work a little more effectively.”
Some of the items included adding an entryway that would connect directly to the Barrhead Agrena.
When it comes to the inside of the structure, there will be several features for family members to enjoy.
One of the features is an area for friends and family to watch their children swim, and have a cup of coffee.
The change rooms would be located at the front of the building, and constructed out of concrete blocks, but would not include a ceiling.
“The proposal is to just have nine foot walls, so it is completely open above, and when you do that you can save a lot of money,” Olfert said. “You also get the effect of the natural light panels.”
Storage areas are important in an aquatic centre, and the design incorporates that need, Olfert said.
“One of the advantages of a Sprung Structure, and that is relatively cost effective… is you get some areas that can be used for that storage,” Olfert said, adding that there is also a large space for mechanical equipment.
Some items that are incorporated in the design are a six-lane lap pool, a hot tub, a shallow pool for toddlers, and a zero entry pool.
The pool with zero-entry also includes features such as spray posts, which come in a variety of styles and shapes, and also has a lazy river.
For the toddlers an even smaller, shallower pool has been added, which will also feature spray posts, and even some characters that spray water for the toddlers to sit on.
Both pools include a special kind of flooring for the benefit of not only the children, but also the parents who are with them.
“Having a padded floor to some extent is safety, but to a very large extent it’s comfort,” Jones of Myrtha Pools said, adding that the padded flooring increases the longevity of the pool.
A hot tub is also included in the design, and will have a new feature, bubble beds.
“If you can imagine, you will basically lie on that… you are basically floating on a bed of bubbles,” Jones said.
According to Jones, Myrtha pools is consistently creating their own products and innovating ideas for their designs.
“This is not a piece together effort from other suppliers. This is a supplier that comes for absolutely every component, every piece of a pool right down to the last nut and bolt,” he said.
Jones described the materials used to construct their pools, and they are not what the average pool is built of.
Myrtha pools uses stainless steel to build and construct their products, this material does not rust, leak, and is guaranteed not to crack over time.
“It is essentially an eternal pool if maintained properly,” he said. “That is something you will never have to replace, period.”
Jones said there is a 10-year warranty on the walls of the pool.
The company has been used for occasions as large as the Olympics in Beijing, and as small as community pools such as Barrhead, but according to Jones, they are all built with the same quality.
“They are designed to be any shape, any size, any depth,” he said. “I think that is a key feature that every town needs to have their own design and own features.”
Columns are not something the public will have to worry about, as Sprung Structures does not require any, providing users to enjoy the vast open space, which due to the material, won’t cause echoing.
Winder said they may not seem durable, but they can put up a fight against any kind of weather Mother Nature throws at it.
“We have survived hurricanes,” he said, adding that there have been situations where hail has damaged surrounding buildings, but the structure has come out unscathed.
“This is a long term building, for the long term,” Winder said. “You don’t cut corners on engineering, you don’t cut corners on the materials you use.”
Winder later said that it is important that the community goes into this commitment understanding all of the facts, including the knowledge that their company is the only one who can replace the roof of the structure.
According to Winder, the membrane won’t need replacing until 28 to 30 years down the line, and can be done so while to community still uses the facility.
The structures have a life span of 60 years or more, and has a warranty of 30 years.
“That is a guaranteed warranty for us,” he said.
The membrane is fire retardant, and the structure is guaranteed not to rust.
“We have engineered this membrane to last as long as possible,” Winder added.
The membrane is made out of a material that allows some give, which is one of the reasons it is so durable.
Winder said the membrane is tightly sealed throughout the entire building.
Between the outer shell and the inside there is a layer of insulation to keep in the heat, and according to Winder, because of the density the cooler temperatures will stay where they belong, outside.
The structure is built to last a lifetime, with a pool to follow suit, and with materials and ideas as creative as these, it seems unlikely that the community will ever be faced with another scenario where they are sitting on the sidelines waiting to be told when it is time to just jump in.
For more information on Sprung Structures, and to read a testimonial from Collingwood Ontario on using a structure for an aquatic centre, go to www.sprung.com.
