A LOOK AHEAD
Here is a quick glimpse into projects in the works
across the country. Watch for more on them in our blog
(AyresAssociates.com/blog/) and in future TRENDS issues.
MAKING A SPLASH
Community members looking to cool off in Racine,
Wisconsin, this summer now have a new option. The SC
Johnson Community Aquatic Center opened to the public
over Memorial Day weekend.
$6.5 million of it funded through a donation from the SC
Johnson company and the remaining $500,000 from the
Racine County Parks Department – in the fall of 2017,
with construction continuing through the winter and into
the spring.
Key features of the project include a six-lane lap
swimming pool and a zero-depth activity pool for younger
patrons – essentially a playground in the pool complete
with a climbing structure, play tower, water cannons,
basketball hoops, and water slides. Both pools are
accessible to patrons with mobility challenges and comply
with the Americans with Disabilities Act, going beyond the
hydraulic lift chairs commonly seen in public pools and
instead incorporating subtle handicap ramps into the water
– allowing everyone equal access into the pools in a more
modest fashion.
Additionally, the Ayres team designed the 4,800-square-
foot bathhouse in a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired style; SC
Johnson’s administration building and many more of its
structures feature the legendary late architect’s designs.
Maximum capacity at the SC Johnson Community Aquatic
Center is 700 people.
MITIGATING CONFLICTS
Ayres Associates’ landscape architect Blake Theisen
and civil engineer Katie MacDonald worked with Racine
County, the City of Racine, SC Johnson, and Racine Family
YMCA on the design of the unique two-vessel pool. In
addition to the initial concept design, Ayres also assisted
with traffic analysis, utility services, bathhouse and parking
lot design, construction documentation, and construction
management.
Ground was broken on the $7 million project –
20│ TRENDS
Ayres Associates’ new
Communications, Gas, and
Power (CGP) design group
serves the telecommunications
and gas industry and focuses on
the required relocation design
of facilities due to roadway
improvements by state and local
transportation departments.
The team also designs new
facilities for CGP clients. With
an established presence in Florida, the group recently
expanded its operations into Wisconsin and elsewhere in
the Midwest.
The group is currently working on a large
telecommunications relocation project for the widening of
U.S. 19 south of Crystal River in Florida. The project involves