Arlington Public Schools commissioned Bowie Gridley Architects to design a replacement facility for Wakefield High School. The $85 million project includes an aquatic center, auditorium, media center, the main administrative spaces, and the town hall meeting room. The upper two floors of the academic wing contain classrooms and other student-focused spaces. The lower floor of the athletic wing contains the main gymnasium, lockers, a fitness room, and other athletic spaces.
The new aquatic center houses two pools which will be utilized by the high school swim team and will also offer instructional and recreational aquatic opportunities to area residents. Features include:
4,700 sq. ft. Competition Pool
- Eight 25-yard lap lanes
- Depths ranging from 4 ft. to 7 ft.
- Multiple line LED timing display
- Stair entry
3,000 sq. ft. Instructional Pool
- Custom 8-inch wide bulkhead separating instructional programming from the diving area and configuring the pool into 25-yard and 25-meter lap lanes
- Depths ranging from 3 ft. to 12 ft.
- Two 1-meter diving boards
- Five fitness lap lanes
- Underwater bench
- Stair entry
- Ramp entry
- Water basketball
Wakefield High School received LEED Gold certification with the U.S. Green Building Council. Highlights of the center’s sustainable initiatives include: solar hot water panels, rain garden landscape feature for on-site storm water management, recycling construction waste, low-emitting materials to create high indoor air quality, and waste heat from mechanical system used to heat the pool.
