Architect selected for new City of Piedmont Aquatic Center

The City of Piedmont in the East Bay has selected ELS Architecture and Urban Design to design and oversee the construction of a new Aquatic Center in the city’s core.

Griffin Structures will be the project manager for the new center, which will include two pools and a new aquatics and community building.

The project will be funded through the $19.5 million bond Measure UU, approved in November 2020.

“ELS’ winning qualifications combine aquatic design expertise, strong community engagement, and a green and sustainable project approach,” the Berkeley-based architect said in an Oct. 20 statement.

“The city and residents of Piedmont have worked hard over time to move this project forward and to make sure that it contributes to Piedmont’s renown as a sustainable and livable community,” said ELS president/CEO Clarence D. Mamuyac, the project’s principal-in-charge.

“We are honored to work with them and are enthusiastic about envisioning together a great place to have fun, relax and stay healthy. This isn’t solely a community pool project. It’s a unique opportunity to merge a number of recreational resources into a new and inviting wellness hub for the civic center.”

ELS says it will facilitate three community workshops in November and December to gather community ideas and consensus on a concept plan for the new center. By early next year, the firm is scheduled to begin the schematic design phase, with the facility scheduled for completion in 2024.

The existing Piedmont pool, opened in the 1960s, was a community hub used by several generations of adults and children. But the facility, which was shuttered in March 2020, had been functioning on borrowed time due to aging equipment and construction. Emissions from the use of natural gas for heating the pool water had also become a liability for the municipality.