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70 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / March 2019 viting and safer environment for people of all ages. The pools aren’t just for adults to soak in – now there’s ADA access, parents can see their kids at the splash pad or on the slide, or you can swim laps. And even though Ouray’s thermal pools accommo- datemore people now than ever before, the spaces are carefully articulated to make people feel less crowded or exposed. “We design spaces for people and how they use them,” said Walker Christensen, principal at DHM. “To do that at hot springs, we call on the same design skills from other types of projects, like parks or traditional recreation centers. That leads us to solutions that work best in each facility to make people comfortable and improve their interaction with the surround- ings.” With dozens of hot springs in Colorado, ranging from small mom-and-pop operations to larger, resort-style facilities, each water source has its own unique minerals, temperatures and flows. Material selection is critical because minerals in geother- mal springs have different properties that can react to natural or manmade objects in their own ways. If the water is com- ing into contact with tile, decking or plants, the materials must be extremely durable and be able to withstand the particular chemical properties of the water’s makeup. At the historic Glenwood Hot Springs, for instance, where new aquatic recreation features are being added, the thermal mineral water is being used to heat treated municipal water, instead of being pumped straight to the new adventure river. Additionally, facilities are finding new technologies and mechanisms to use more of the geothermal heat from the springs before it leaves the facility, giving hot water a second life to heat bath houses, decks, showers and laundry water, and snow melt systems on the walkways and parking lots. Water is now leaving the facility at 40 degrees instead of 95, which allows the facility full use of the resource. Our ability to recover heat for other uses without re- ducing the heat available to the pool is a modern break- through. Automated system operations such as those that Cloward H2O designed for Ouray’s and Glenwood Springs’ pools adjust temperatures in a more precise and consis- tent manner with minimal operator intervention. Split- ting up the large, historic single pools into smaller, more customized ones creates additional efficiencies. Facilities are able to keep some pools open and maintain revenue flow while doing maintenance or construction on others. Additionally, during winter months, they can close some of the pools to save energy, rather than shutting the whole facility down. The experience of visiting a hot spring is elevated by a creative and purposeful design, inclusive in all aspects, and of particular economic significance to its owners and the citizens of the community. Coordination between commu- nity, designers, and builders provide facilities that place the visitor experience at the forefront of the design. Today, as throughout history, visitors of these healing landscapes can feel the power of this remarkable natural resource. *Other consultants and contractors that DHM has worked with on Colorado hot springs projects: Ouray Hot Springs: Cloward H20, Dowl, Russell Planning, 360 Engineering, AE Design, Goff Engineering, FCI Constructors Glenwood Hot Springs: Cloward H20, SGM Engineering, CEM Aquatics (Contractor). \\ / Sustainable Hot Springs Facility Design Brings New Life to Colorado Tourism /