The New Municipal Swimming Pool of La Calera project in the Valparaíso Region is about to begin construction, as announced by the firm Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos on social media.
Below, the architects present the project in detail.
Text courtesy of Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos. The new heated swimming pool building joins the existing Olympic pool, creating a covered plaza where the two structures meet. On the first floor, this space acts as an entrance and reception atrium, while on the second floor, it connects the Olympic pool with the public stands of the new heated pool.
The entrance plaza separates the circulation route reserved for swimmers (featuring controlled access to locker rooms) from that of the general public accessing the stands or the Olympic pool during the summer season.
To avoid excessive maintenance costs, the design utilizes the minimum interior height permitted for the pool enclosure, avoiding the need to condition unnecessary volume. The project features large visual openings, with glazed facades facing the interior green area and the upper terrace that connects the stands with the existing pool. These windows are designed to be closed during winter operations and fully open in summer, allowing for cross-ventilation throughout the spaces.
The project's formal definition is derived from the structural proposal, synthesized by overlapping large beams. These span the required distances, defining the opaque and transparent facades while shading the roof to reduce solar exposure.
The primary challenge with programs of this type is maintaining indoor climate quality, which is often compromised by overheating (due to large glazed surfaces) and constantly high relative humidity. Particularly in the heated pool and locker room areas, the challenge lies in dehumidifying, renewing large volumes of air, and maintaining temperatures within a strict range without causing discomfort for users.
Passive strategies will help avoid the use of active HVAC in less demanding spaces, such as common areas, entrances, or circulation corridors, whereas areas like the heated pool and locker rooms require constant active strategies. While passive strategies can contribute to comfort, active climate control remains essential.
The pool water will be heated using an electric heat pump, which will also handle the climate control of the hall. This technology operates at an energy efficiency of 300%. The system has the advantage of recovering a large portion of the latent energy from the humidity in the air of the conditioned room and transferring it back as thermal energy to the pool water.
Additionally, it will be supported by photovoltaic solar panels, which will power the heat pump, further reducing operating costs.
General Information:
Client: Municipality of La Calera and National Sports Institute (IND).
Architects: Pedro Gubbins, Antonio Polidura (Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos)
Collaborators: Hernán Fournies / Sebastián Pezoa / Felipe Hernández / Benjamin Bonomi
Technical Consultants:
Structural Engineer: Mauricio Abella
Electrical Engineering: Concha y Gana
Energy Efficiency: OsGreen, Pablo Sills and Mirentxu Ulloa
Lighting Design: Mónica Pérez
HVAC Engineering: SINERCO, Marcela Riveros
Hydraulic and Pool Design: vvb arquitectura, Laura Rojas
Signage Design: Kathryn Gillmore
Security Design: Waldo Valdés
Plumbing Engineering: Patricio Moya
Landscape Design: Nieves Balbontin.
Location: Alejandro Guzmán 341, El Bosque, La Calera
Site Area: 2,925 m2
Built Area: 3,281.41 m2
Project Year: 2019-2021
This article was written by Fabian Dejtiar. The translation is powered by AI.
