Waldo County YMCA

Belfast, Maine | 47,000 SF

Where do you put 300 kids in 15 minutes? A spacious and simple entry sequence efficiently funnels peak loads of middle-schoolers each afternoon that would otherwise swamp staff and programs. Once inside, an oversized gymnasium and youth center provide ample programming for this former Y-without-walls. With the completion of their phased natatorium in August 2009 the YMCA hosts in excess of 4,000 active members within a community of 6,000 and a county-wide service range of 36,000.  This phased addition was designed concurrent with initial construction and will provide a home to the successful Bluefish swim team while expanding the YMCA’s program penetration within the community.

This natatorium addition bears little resemblance to the initial pool designed with the building in 1999. The YMCA’s successful operation in their new home has enabled an expansion of its aquatic program vision with a hydrotherapy spa and family pool – a unique warm water pool with depths from 20” to 7.5’ serving the community from infants through active older adults. This broad range of services has helped the YMCA add more than 1,000 members since the natatorium opened in August.

Both pools feature full-tile gutters integrated into the pool deck, with raised end walls on the lap pool. Neptune-Benson Defender filters provide separate filtration for each water body allowing a range of operating temperatures and flexible programming; in addition to its performance this system was selected for its minimal water and backwash impacts, offering significant savings to the YMCA in staff time and municipal fees.

Pool water heat exchangers are served by a new condensing propane boiler supplementing the original oil-fired building system, providing energy efficient domestic hot water and heating for the natatorium from March through November.