Aquatic Community Center

Civic Recreation & Aquatics — Walnut Creek, CA

Project Details

Location : 301 N San Carlos Drive, Walnut Creek, CA

Firm: RRM Design Group

Position: Landscape Designer

Project Type: Aquatic Community Center

Years Involved: 2022-2025

Project Overview

This proposed community facility reimagines the site as a vibrant aquatic and recreation hub that strengthens connections between landscape, wellness, and water. The design integrates a competition pool and recreation pool within a cohesive park setting, emphasizing accessibility, sustainability, and community gathering.

Key Contributions

As a landscape designer on the project, I contributed across concept development, site planning, and visualization, including:

Developing early concept layouts to test program organization, circulation, and key sightlines.
Assisting with the creation and refinement of 3D study models used for internal reviews and client presentations.
Supporting the production of illustrative plans, diagrams, and presentation graphics for stakeholder communication.
Coordinating iterative adjustments based on team feedback, redlines, and evolving project requirements.

Site Analysis

This site analysis diagram maps existing circulation, parking, and program areas around Heather Farm Park to understand how visitors currently move through the landscape. It highlights walking distances, key access points, and contextual constraints such as noise, traffic, and adjacent residential edges. These observations inform the placement of the new aquatic center, its entry sequence, and opportunities to strengthen connections back to the broader park network.

Concept Design

Two concept alternatives tested different ways of organizing the building, pools, and pond edge, leading to the preferred concept.

Alternative A

Alternative B

Preferred Plan

Schematic Design

The design development phase refined the preferred schematic option into a fully coordinated site plan.

Preferred Schematic Plan

Design Development

The design development phase refined the preferred schematic option into a fully coordinated site plan.

Pool Amenity Terrace - Isometric

Pool Amenity Terrace - Elevations

Pool Amenity Terrace - Isometric Section

Site Layout Refinement

Site Grading Study

Illustrative Site Plan

Construction Document

The construction drawings phase translated the design development work into coordinated plans, sections, and details suitable for bidding and permitting. I drafted the landscape site reference plan, construction plans for the pool deck and event areas, and key sections illustrating grading and relationships between the building, pool deck, event garden, and pond edge, in coordination with the broader consultant team.