The Challenge:
Large indoor swimming pool environments are tough on building elements due to humidity, water treatment chemicals and dew points issues leading to condensation risks, especially in concealed spaces. They are also known to be noisy with poor acoustics due to hard reflective surfaces, making it hard to hear for learners and coaches and uncomfortable for patrons.
More than just a pool, Te Ngaengae is a space created for and by the community. Its architectural elements honor the area’s Māori heritage and reflect the legacy of the original Naenae Pool. Working closely with architects Architecture HDT the project team needed to achieve a sound reverberation time of less than 2.0 seconds. This meant they required a special sound-absorbing solution that could perform well in the pool’s humid environment.
- Address excessive reverberation, RT > 2.0 seconds
- Control risk of condensation and corrosion
- Create an uncluttered aesthetic.
- Meet key project focus of sustainability / Green Star rating
The Solution:
Asona’s Triton Pool Panels were chosen for the walls because they provided a high sound absorbing surface (NRC 1.0) to control flutter echo and a rigid moisture resistant panel that could be ‘stood off’ to create an open ventilated form that prevented interstitial condensation. Rated Global GreenTag class A also helped meet the project’s environmental goals.
The smart placement of the wall panels was designed to soak up sound reflections at ear level. By doing this, the panels stopped the annoying "flutter echo" that happens when sound bounces between two hard, flat surfaces. This successfully created an environment where coaches and patrons could hear each other clearly, a significant contrast to an untreated aquatic facility.
The outcome is an acoustically comfortable environment that both controls noise levels and is pleasant for both training sessions, competitions, fun slides and general patrons all contributing to the projects Green Star 5 rating, making it the first aquatic centre in New Zealand to achieve this certification.
- Crisp, frameless look with wrapped edges.
- High light reflectance.
- Concealed aluminium frames for strength.
- Dimensionally stable in high humidity.
- Water repellent surface.
- Aided in getting a Green Star 5 rating.
