From the beginning, our client knew what he wanted the waterpark to look like and challenged us to come up with a park without columns and an open feel. To do so, we had to change our thinking — and our approach. Rather than designing from the ground up we started planning from the top down.

The dome gave us this freedom. As a free span structure, it required no structural walls or columns in the middle of the park. Essentially, we had a clean palette to design the layout of the waterpark, instead of designing the location of the pools around support columns.

The dome also solved the most difficult dilemma: “How are we going to hang the slide tower and slides from the ceiling?” It provided the structural strength to achieve the operator’s dream, and enabled us to place the starting platform for the slides directly over pools and other structures. This strategy really opened up the layout and would have been nearly impossible using a traditional building model.

By hanging the slides and tower from the ceiling, we improved the experience for guests and lifeguards as well. Open sight lines on deck level allow them to see clear across the park. This also gives parents a heightened comfort level because they can see their children virtually anywhere in the park.

From the operator’s perspective, lifeguards at the top of the slides can see riders enter the water, and management is better able to keep track of staff through- out the facility.

By contrast, some traditionally designed waterparks may tend to feel congested because of the pressure to squeeze as much possible into this expensive indoor space. The Splash Bay Waterpark does not have this problem. In fact, since it was completed, guests have commented that the space feels very open, yet still seems to offer plenty of options.

Our client even asked what else he might add to take up some of the open space. So why aren’t all waterparks built with a dome?

No doubt in the future more will be. But there are a few drawbacks. For example, as the free span increases, so does the pitch of the dome. This then increases the air volume within the facility, increasing the load on the HVAC system — and costs.

And anytime you introduce a curved structure to a natatorium, other trades, such as mechanical and pipe fitters have to adjust their methods to conform to the nonlinear shape. In the case of Splash Bay, to keep operations as efficient as possible, premium efficient pumps were used, as well as an ultraviolet sanitization system that helps reduce chemical consumption and improve air quality.

Though utilizing the dome’s structural strength provided opportunities, it also caused difficulties during design and construction. The first hurdle was the logistical challenge of physically suspending the slide tower, slides and even a mezzanine from the ceiling. It was only through careful coordination that the dome contractor, slide manufacturer, and waterpark designer were able to complete this phase of the job.

Looking back, we thought that would be the toughest battle, but coordinating construction of the waterpark around construction of the dome ended up being the biggest trial. No waterpark construction could be started until the dome was finished because the dome’s interior needed to be under a constant pressure to hold it up until the structure was nearly completed.

Adding to that challenge, the air form used for the concrete swayed in the wind and changed elevations throughout the ceiling of the waterpark. This meant that hanging supports for any of the waterpark elements could not begin until construction of the dome was complete. Therefore, it was necessary to get all of the contractors to adjust from the traditional foundation-up construction schedule. Eventually, each contractor did grasp the nuances involved in constructing a dome. They worked their way down to the hanging structures and did the groundwork last.

The resulting $4.5 million project, completed in November 2007, encompasses nearly 19,000 square feet and features several amenities. A large, climbable play structure situated in a zero-depth entry shallow water pool includes a dump bucket and other interactive features; a bridge connecting the play structure directly to the deck; and two kid-friendly slides that dispatch from the top onto the deck via a slide run-out, making it safer for kids.

In the activity pool, visitors can try their balance on a stand- alone floatable, or try to cross the series of floatables with cargo net overhead. There’s also a specially designed, stainless steel basketball rim and backboard that will hold up to the environment as well as the users. The brightly colored slide unit suspended 40 feet in the air over a catch pool is situated on the island of the lazy river. Going against the norm again, our client didn’t want the typical lazy river experience, so to give the attraction more entertainment value, we included a vortex pool on the outside edge that sucks guests in, twirls them around, then shoots them back out into the lazy river. We added a wave generator to create waves that can continuously circle this “not so lazy” river.

The indoor/outdoor hot tub with a mural and rock work around the walls and a roof overhead allows guests to use it in all types of weather. The outside patio surrounding the spa is equipped with in-floor heating to keep it free from snow and ice, and make it bearable for guests to walk on with bare feet. Finally, to get a view of the whole park and purchase concessions, guests can go up to the second-story mezzanine level, built from fiberglass grating.

Most waterparks grow over time and undoubtedly this one will, too. So we planned the underground mechanical system to handle more items in the future.

It may be too early to predict the success of our dome waterpark design, but this project has stirred interest among other hotel owners and developers. It expands the range of proven building systems, extending it beyond the traditional “box” design and challenging the industry to take a broader view of the indoor waterpark environment, from the pool to the roof.