Estancia High School in Costa Mesa was the only district high school without an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Its existing outdoor L-shaped pool measured 25-yards by 27-yards. With successful aquatic programs growing and a desire for equity amongst the high schools in the District, the District’s school board agreed to a new $7 million pool replacement project in 2016. The pool would be an outdoor eight lane, 50-meter pool to be used for water polo practice, competition, and by the community.

At the time the school district secured bids in the summer of 2017, the project was $3 million over budget. With the project on pause and in search of creative solutions, Counsilman-Hunsaker assembled a design-build team that was able to create a construction budget that other teams could not accommodate. Working closely with the pool contractor through a design-assist project approach, the design team prepared a design solution that met the programming needs of the school district while also meeting their budget requirements for the project.