Mt. San Antonio College Aquatic Center
Walnut, California, USA
Project Overview
Located in the suburbs of Los Angeles, Mt. San Antonio College Aquatic Center is an essential hub for the junior college and the surrounding community.
As the area continued to grow, it became imperative it needed a larger aquatics facility. The biggest priority was that it had to be flexible enough to accommodate additional programming and host national and international competitions for the college’s award-winning swimming, diving, and water polo teams.
Designed to replace the original aquatic facility, the new Aquatic Center now comprises a 59m competitor pool (all deep) and 30m teaching/diving pool (shallow to deep), both featuring Natare hybrid moving bulkheads. It also holds seating for 2,500 spectators.
- Two bulkheads reside in the competition pool, allowing event organizers to reconfigure the pool as needed to accommodate multiple course lengths, zones, and water polo matches.
- The teaching/diving pool has one moving bulkhead for flexible programming.
Awards
Since the facility opened in 2022, it has received honors in the following publications for its state-of-the-art design:
Exciting Future Ahead
In January 2024, Mt. San Antonio College and USA Water Polo announced a partnership centered around the use of the facility in preparation for the upcoming 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.
- Training home for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Water Polo Team
- Competitions and training events for the men’s and women’s teams
- USAWP member events
It was a tremendous honor for Natare to be chosen to fabricate and supply the moving hybrid bulkheads for Mt. San Antonio College Aquatic Center. With the use of these products, the facility can continue to grow and offer additional programming options.
The collaboration among ourselves, California Commercial Pools, Aquatic Design Group, and the rest of the design and construction teams was second-to-none to ensure this facility met the college and community’s needs.
Solutions Used for Mt. San Antonio College Aquatic Center
Hybrid Moving Bulkhead: Constructed of the same materials as our traditional stainless steel bulkheads, the exterior trim above the waterline is made from our extremely durable GPM polymer material instead of stainless steel.
Fabricated in-house at Natare, the GPM polymer allows the client to choose shapes of their trim based on their project’s requirements. This material also allows the customization of the engraved text, custom logos, and more.
The use of bulkheads in competition and teaching pools allows the facility to host various programs simultaneously without interfering with one another. With the inclusion of a moving bulkhead, the facility is given the ability to change course lengths at any given time during practice or competition.
*Some photos provided by California Commercial Pools.
