Balboa Pool Renovation

The Balboa Park Pool project involves a renovation and addition to San Francisco’s Recreation and Parks mid-century natatorium. With a historically sensitive approach to preserve the building’s character-defining elements, an economical renovation to the existing facility left essential elements in place while enhancing the user experience. Upgrades to the building’s structural and environmental systems to meet the highest standards of durability, performance and sustainability. Kuth Ranieri served as lead Design Architect for the project and shared documentation and coordination with ELS through all design phases. KR led the JV’s design efforts and community outreach, stakeholder engagement, presentations to the SF Planning Board and Arts Commission.

The design increases the programming capacity of pool services by reconfiguring the existing bath cores and administrative spaces, carving out space for a new community room, family and all gender bathrooms. The new programs better serve the neighborhood communities’ contemporary needs by redesigning the parking area to improve traffic flow, drop-off / pick-up, and overall accessibility compliance. Upgrades include new pool systems, exterior curtain walls, locker rooms, restrooms and a commissioned site-specific mural.

The renovated building is LEED Silver equivalent and hosts passive strategies such as collection of condensation recovered from the pool’s dehumidification system and greywater to service the facility.

A new civic threshold is created by defining a clear point of entry with the addition of a canopy, stair, ramp, lighting and landscape to offer a safe space for pickup and drop off. The new entry ramp and renovated interior spaces allow for full accessibility compliance from the entry throughout the building. The rehabilitated pool preserves the qualities of the original 1957 building, while thoughtfully and respectfully adding to the building to make it a vital resource for the community for years to come.