North Portland Aquatic Center

Community-led aquatic center takes shape in North Portland

The new North Portland Aquatic Center (NPAC) is envisioned as an inclusive, distinguished, and state-of-the-art facility and a landmark not just for the neighborhood, but for the city. Alongside our associate architect partner, Perkins&Will, Scott Edwards Architecture is using innovative architectural design to develop an inviting and engaging center for all to enjoy. The site context and existing features, and an open dialogue with the community, shape how the facility is arranged. Building and site elements consisting of the competition and recreation pools, all-user locker rooms, offices, meeting and activity rooms, outdoor recreation field, community plazas, and parking are thoughtfully placed in a manner that maintains the beloved park-like setting while still delivering a functional and intuitive building. The design balances high-performance sustainability aspirations with long-term operational success, targeting LEED Gold certification and creating a space that will be enjoyed for generations to come.

Location
Portland, OR

Size
60,427 sf

Year
Estimated 2029

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) is the steward of recreational facilities, art centers, parks, natural areas, gardens, trails, and other publicly accessible places across the city. NPAC will align with PP&R’s goals of:

Creating a beautiful, durable, equitable, state-of-the-art aquatic center that is inclusive of all Portlanders.
Promote equity and reduce barriers to access to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive facility for all.
Expand the types of aquatics programming PP&R can offer.
Balance high-performance sustainability aspirations with long-term operational success.
Employ the CM/GC model to deliver an efficient facility that aligns scope, schedule, and budget.

The 10-acre site, nestled within a single-family home neighborhood near several schools, is defined by its mature tree canopy and recreation fields. The site plan employs a pedestrian-driven approach, ensuring the new facility integrates cohesively into the established neighborhood context while responding to the community’s desire to maintain the site’s open, park-like feel.

The North Portland Aquatic Center will use a mass timber roof structure to reduce embodied carbon emissions and create light and bright interior spaces in conjunction with pops of color throughout.

The center brings access to aquatics to North Portland and provides opportunities to learn basic swimming and water safety skills in a welcoming environment. A public place offering this resource goes beyond recreation—a 2010 study performed by the University of Memphis found that 70% of Black children, nearly 60% of Hispanic/Latinx children, and 42% of white children have little to no swimming ability. North Portland is a diverse area, and this study informs the urgency for an equitable design responsive to historically underserved communities.

Acknowledgements

SEA Team
Jennifer Marsicek
Jesse Graden
Sid Scott
Kara Grothen
Juliette Grummon-Beale
Yen-Ting Lin
Roseva Saa
McKenzie Baird

Project Team
Perkins&Will
Howard S. Wright
WDY
Interface Engineering
Mayer/Reed
Counsilman Hunsaker
Dive Into Diversity
Vega
Cundiff
RDH
RLB
PBS
ABD
JBK
The Bookin Group
Portland Tree Consultancy