The Fitzgerald in Washington, DC, wins a 2026 CREDA Award of Excellence, with pool and spa design, engineering, and construction observation by Aquatic Design Group.
Athletic Business Names Montana State University Student Wellness Center a Facility of Merit
Montana State University’s Student Wellness Center in Bozeman, Montana, has been named a 2026 Facility of Merit by Athletic Business. The annual awards recognize outstanding athletics, fitness, and recreation facilities for their design, functionality, and community impact.
Aquatic Design Group served as the project’s aquatics consultant and engineer, collaborating with design architect RDG Planning & Design and architect of record MMW Architects. The project included a complete remodel of the existing natatorium, with a new pool, roof, and interior amenities, as part of a broader renovation and expansion of the university’s wellness facilities.
Opened in August 2024, the Student Wellness Center brings campus recreation, health services, and academic programs together in one destination. The aquatic facilities complement fitness spaces, climbing and bouldering areas, multipurpose courts, and gathering spaces, giving students a variety of ways to stay active and connect.
The center’s design draws inspiration from Montana’s landscape, combining natural materials and mountain views with spaces that connect its diverse programs and bringing multiple functions into a cohesive design.
Congratulations to Montana State University and the entire project team on this recognition!
Learn more here.
Project Team
Aquatic Consultant/Designer: Aquatic Design Group
Architects: RDG Planning & Design, Des Moines, Iowa; MMW Architects, Missoula, Mont.
ADA Lifts: Aqua Creek
Lane Markers: POOLCORP Commercial Aquatics
Scoreboard/Timing Systems: Daktronics
Aquatic Design Group Fall 2026 Tradeshows
Let’s talk waterparks! 🌊 Aquatic Design Group headed to Las Vegas for the World Waterpark Association’s Annual Symposium & Trade Show in Booth 802. Whether you’re planning a new destination, adding attractions, or giving an existing facility a fresh start, we loved hearing how we can help.
More inclusive pools. Safer chemical management. Smarter program planning. Join Aquatic Design Group’s Michelle Gable at the California Parks and Recreation Society's California Aquatic Management School (CAMS) next week, hosted at the West Hollywood Aquatics & Recreation Center! This facility is one of Aquatic Design Group's signature California projects and we're so excited to show it off at this event. Once you've been adequately impressed by the pool, catch Michelle’s three sessions. Aquatic Design Group is proud to sponsor CAMS and support the people who keep our aquatic facilities and programs moving forward. See you by the pool!
Who will we see at the 2026 Athletic Business Show?? Stop by Booth #1018 to connect with Justin Caron, Alecia Stegenga, and Stephanie Fujimura from Aquatic Design Group! Bring your aquatic facility questions, share what’s next for your facility, and catch Justin and Alecia’s educational sessions.
🔹 Find us at Booth #1018 in the heart of the expo – come say hello!
🔹 Proud Aquatic Track Seminars Sponsor
PRESENTING two EXPERT-LED SESSIONS:
Built for Champions: Future-Proofing Competitive Aquatic Facilities - Justin Caron, CEO
with Jack Patton, RDG; Donald Jenkins, Georgia Tech; and Sebastien Rousseau, Myrtha Pools
Wednesday, November 18, 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Beyond Gut Instinct: Leveraging Data for Strategic Aquatic Program Planning - Alecia Stegenga, Project Manager
Wednesday, November 18, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
If you’re attending, let’s connect! 📆 Get the full schedule here.
Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) | Orlando, FL
Conference: November 16 – 19, 2026 | Expo: November 17 – 20, 2026
Catch Justin Caron on the expo floor at IAAPA 2026 - reach out and let’s connect.
See you there!
3Roots Earns Silver in PHTA’s 2026 International Awards of Excellence
More love for 3Roots! The Fit & Rec Center pools in Mira Mesa have earned a Silver Award in the Commercial Pools category of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance’s 2026 International Awards of Excellence.
Developed as part of the 3Roots master-planned community, the 10,000-square-foot aquatic center was designed to support recreation, fitness, relaxation, and connection within a cohesive outdoor environment, bringing together design creativity, durable materials, and carefully coordinated aquatic systems. Aquatic Design Group collaborated with SWA Group to integrate a 4,500-square-foot resort pool, separate lap pool, and spa into a cohesive setting for recreation and wellness. Zero-depth entry and distinct activity areas support accessibility and multiple uses, while coordinated circulation, filtration, and water chemistry systems support reliable daily operation. Concrete cabanas and complementary finishes connect the aquatic environment to the site’s former quarry landscape, balancing visual appeal with durability and long-term maintenance needs.
Click here to view the digital experience. Congratulations to all involved!
Project Team
Aquatic Consultant/Designer: Aquatic Design Group
Architects: SWA Group, Carlos Architects, Sillman, Dahlin Group
Landscape Architect: SWA Group
Pool/Spa/Water Feature Contractor: Kraftsman Commercial Playground & Water Park Equipment
General Contractor: C&S Construction Services
Civil Engineer: Bowman Consulting Group
Structural Engineer: C&S Companies
MEP Engineer: HR Plumbing
Photography: Bill Tatham, courtesy of SWA Group
Aquatic Design Group Projects Featured in Aquatics International’s October 2026 Issue
From a school district natatorium in Iowa to a rooftop retreat in Colorado, two Aquatic Design Group projects appear in the October 2026 issue of Aquatics International. Waukee Community School District Natatorium takes the cover, while One River North is highlighted in the magazine’s closing “Last Splash” feature.
Waukee Community School District Natatorium
Waukee, Iowa
The issue’s cover showcases Waukee Community School District Natatorium, with aquatic design by Aquatic Design Group and photography by IRIS 22 Productions. The cover brings a state of the art competitive swimming facility into focus for an issue centered on aquatic facility improvements and long-term care.
One River North
Denver, Colorado
In “Final Destination,” Deputy Editor Rebecca Robledo explores how One River North’s rooftop pool and spa complete the residential building’s landscape-inspired design.
The building’s canyon-like opening connects terraces, pathways, planting, and water in a journey inspired by Colorado’s natural environments. At the rooftop, the swimming pool, spa, sundeck, seating, and gardens create an alpine-inspired retreat overlooking the Rocky Mountains and Denver skyline.
The feature includes insights about integrating the pool and spa into that larger experience. Rather than treating the aquatic amenities as separate destinations, the design makes them part of the journey through the building.
Together, these appearances highlight the broad range of aquatic environments Aquatic Design Group helps create, from public facilities shaped by their communities to luxury amenities shaped by their surroundings.
3Roots Takes Center Stage in Aquatics International’s 2026 Dream Designs
The 3Roots Fit & Rec Wellness Center is having a big moment in Aquatics International’s 2026 Dream Designs issue! Not only was it selected as one of this year’s 10 featured projects, it landed on the cover, earned a special mention in the editor’s note, and kicked off the annual feature as the very first project showcased.
Click here to view the digital experience. Congratulations to all involved!
3Roots Fit & Rec center Pools
Mira Mesa, California
Developed as part of the 3Roots master-planned community, the 10,000-square-foot aquatic center was designed to support recreation, fitness, relaxation, and connection within a cohesive outdoor environment. Aquatic Design Group served as the aquatic consultant and designer, working alongside the broader project team to create a collection of complementary water spaces tailored to different activities and experiences.
The facility includes a 4,500-square-foot recreation pool with a beach entry and in-water volleyball, a 25-by-75-foot lap pool, a spa, and surrounding lounge and gathering areas. The pools are carefully positioned to allow energetic recreation, focused exercise, and quiet relaxation to occur simultaneously without compromising the experience of other users.
The design reflects the site’s history as a former sand and gravel quarry through durable cast-in-place and board-formed concrete elements. Among its most recognizable features are the circular concrete cabanas along the lap pool, which provide shaded, private seating while reinforcing the project’s modern architectural character. Sweeping pool geometry, layered landscaping, and a 50-foot ficus tree rising through an opening in the fitness center’s roof further connect the built and natural environments.
The 2026 Dream Designs recognition celebrates the project’s success in bringing together wellness, luxury, outdoor living, and community—creating an aquatic destination that is both highly functional and memorable.
Project Team
Aquatic Consultant/Designer: Aquatic Design Group
Architects: SWA Group, Carlos Architects, Sillman, Dahlin Group
Landscape Architect: SWA Group
Pool/Spa/Water Feature Contractor: Kraftsman Commercial Playground & Water Park Equipment
General Contractor: C&S Construction Services
Civil Engineer: Bowman Consulting Group
Structural Engineer: C&S Companies
MEP Engineer: HR Plumbing
Photography: Bill Tatham, courtesy of SWA Group
Aquatic Design Group featured in Athletic Business Magazine's 2026 Architectural Showcase!
Student Wellness Center Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana
In the spring of 2019, three primary gymnasium spaces at Montana State University’s campus fitness center were damaged beyond repair when the roofs collapsed under a heavy snow load.
By fall 2019, plans began for a new wellness center. The process was deeply participatory, engaging 1,700 students and faculty and collecting over 5,400 votes through a creative coffee-bean voting system to establish core wellness priorities. This resulted in a vision that went beyond simply repairing and replacing the damaged facilities to creating a facility that brings together Campus Recreation, University Health Partners, and Health and Human Development.
Inspired by the richness and beauty of the Montana Front Range, the new Student Wellness Center is influenced by the strength and unwavering durability of rock, the warmth and approachability of wood, and the vibrant, playful nature of the front range waterways. These fundamental influencers unify the diverse user groups into a cohesive assembly of spaces conveying a message of togetherness while celebrating individuality.
The warmth of the wood, the strength of board-form precast and the refined rustic nature of zinc metal panels seek to create a sense of place that is contextually inspired. At its core, the parti seeks to bridge new and existing spaces through a synergistic commons thoroughfare that unites users from all different walks of the wellness spectrum.
Architect: MMW Architects, Missoula, Montana
Design Architect: RDG Planning & Design, Des Moines, Iowa
Total Construction Cost: $76.8M
Square Feet: 192,140
Occupancy: August 2024
Click here to view the digital experience. Congratulations to all involved!
Aquatic Design Group featured in Recreation Management 2026 Guide to Aquatic Design
Aquatic Design Group’s Alecia Stegenga was recently featured throughout Recreation Management’s May 2026 Supplement, A Guide to Aquatic Design, with ADG expertise and project work included in multiple articles exploring the evolution of community pools, natatoriums, and modern aquatic facility design.
The issue highlights many of the forces shaping today’s aquatic environments, including flexible programming, universal design, competition pool performance, recreation amenities, community wellness, safety, and long-term operational value. For Aquatic Design Group, these themes reflect the same priorities that guide our work across municipal, K-12, higher education, recreation, wellness, and competitive aquatic facilities.
Recreation Management’s Guide to Aquatic Design reinforces a major shift in the industry: aquatic facilities are being asked to do more than ever. Today’s pools must serve competitive athletes, families, beginners, seniors, people with disabilities, fitness users, therapy participants, and community members looking for places to gather.
That means successful aquatic design must account for:
Flexible pool programming
Universal and inclusive design
Competition standards and fast-water performance
Lifeguard sightlines and safety
Water temperature variation
Air and water quality
Shade, comfort, and social space
Long-term operations and maintenance
Community engagement and public input
Revenue-generating amenities and programming
These are not isolated design choices. They are connected decisions that influence how a facility performs for decades, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to contribute to important conversations about the future of aquatic facilities. From the Moana Springs Community Aquatics and Fitness Center in Reno to natatoriums, recreation pools, spray grounds, water features, competition pools, and wellness-focused aquatic environments across the country, Aquatic Design Group remains committed to helping communities create places that are safe, sustainable, flexible, inclusive, and built around the people who use them.
Thank you to Recreation Management for featuring Aquatic Design Group, Alecia Stegenga, and the Moana Springs Community Aquatics and Fitness Center in this issue.
The evolution of the local pool (pg. 14)
In The Evolution of the Local Pool, Recreation Management examines how community pools have changed from simple swimming venues into inclusive, multigenerational destinations. The article features insight from Aquatic Design Group Project Manager Alecia Stegenga discussing the growing emphasis on biophilic design, clean sightlines, high-quality finishes, universal access, shade, social zones, and aquatic spaces that serve the entire community.
Alecia notes that modern aquatic centers are no longer designed only around the pool user. They are increasingly planned as community wellness hubs, with open layouts that support lifeguard visibility, flexible programming, and meaningful social connection.
The article also highlights Aquatic Design Group’s William N. Pennington Moana Springs Community Aquatics and Fitness Center in Reno, Nevada. Moana Springs is especially meaningful because it represents the return of aquatics to a beloved community site. The original Moana Pool first opened in 1960 and later closed in 2007. The new facility officially opened in 2024, bringing year-round aquatics, fitness, lessons, recreation, wellness, and competitive swimming opportunities back to the community. Moana Springs demonstrates how a public aquatic facility can support diverse needs within one cohesive environment. Competitive swimmers, families, lap swimmers, fitness users, seniors, therapy users, and community groups can all find appropriate water within the same facility. That blend of competition, recreation, wellness, and accessibility is central to the future of municipal aquatic design.
Faster Water Meets Flexibility & Fun (Pg. 24)
Aquatic Design Group was also featured in Faster Water Meets Flexibility & Fun, focused on the evolution of competitive natatorium design. The piece explores how modern natatoriums must support fast water, athlete performance, spectator comfort, flexible programming, air and water quality, and long-term operational efficiency.
Alecia Stegenga shared perspective on how natatoriums are increasingly bridging the gap between competition pools and community aquatic centers. She discusses the importance of designing aquatic spaces that can support swim meets and training while also creating opportunities for therapy, recreation, wellness, multipurpose programming, and revenue generation. The article also includes photography of the Moana Springs Aquatic Center, further underscoring our experience with complex aquatic environments that must balance performance, flexibility, safety, and community use.
Alecia Stegenga is a Project Manager at Aquatic Design Group.
Dennis Berkshire Featured in Life Floor® Article on Aquatic Facility Certification
Aquatic Design Group Principal Dennis Berkshire was recently featured alongside other industry experts in Life Floor’s article, Why NSF-50 and ASTM Certification Matter in Aquatic Facilities. The article highlights the importance of third-party product certification in public pools, aquatic centers, natatoriums, splash pads, and other commercial aquatic environments where safety, durability, and long-term performance are essential.
With decades of aquatic design experience, Dennis brings valuable insight to the discussion of NSF-50 and ASTM standards for aquatic facilities. As a voting member and former chairman of the technical committee of the NSF-50 Joint Committee, Dennis has helped advance industry conversations around product testing, aquatic safety, material performance, and risk reduction in public swimming pool design. Dennis has been named twice as part of the “Power 25” by Aquatics International Magazine for his work as a technical committee chairperson for the Model Aquatic Health Code.
The article explains why certified aquatic products matter when selecting materials and systems that must perform under demanding conditions, including constant water exposure, pool chemistry, heavy foot traffic, cleaning protocols, humidity, and long-term facility use. Products that meet NSF-50 and ASTM certification standards help establish a trusted standard of care for facility owners, architects, engineers, aquatic designers, contractors, and operators.
Dennis emphasizes that product certification is not just a technical requirement. It is a critical part of designing safer, more resilient aquatic facilities. Certified products can help protect swimmers and staff while also supporting better decision-making, improved facility performance, and reduced liability throughout the life of an aquatic project.
Read the full article here to learn more about why certification matters in the planning, design, and operation of safe, durable aquatic facilities. Thank you to Life Floor for including Dennis and Aquatic Design Group in this important industry conversation and for helping bring attention to the role certification plays in safer aquatic facility design.
Justin Caron to be featured in Recreation Management Free Webinar
20 Years of Insights From the State of the Industry Report
Join Recreation Management for an upcoming free webinar sponsored by Belson Outdoors, LLC., Fluidra, Greenfields Outdoor Fitness, and Shade N Net, exploring key insights from the State of the Industry Report, including budgets, amenities, construction plans, facility challenges, and the trends shaping recreation, sports, fitness, and aquatic facilities.
ADG’s Justin Caron, Principal / CEO, will bring an aquatics perspective to the conversation, sharing insight from more than 20 years of consulting experience and 800+ aquatic facility projects. He’ll be joined by fellow industry experts Scott Crawford of RDG Planning & Design and RM’s Editorial Director Emily Tipping for a discussion on what the data reveals about today’s recreation, sports, fitness, and aquatic facility landscape.
Want to know where your facility stands when it comes to budgets, amenities, construction, industry challenges and more?
For 20 years, Recreation Management’s cutting-edge State of the Industry Report has been bringing you the most up-to-date analysis of trends in recreation, sports, fitness and aquatic facilities. Now we bring that information to our popular Educational Webinar series. Learn more about:
Average operating costs and revenue trends for different types of facilities.
Facility construction plans, budgets and challenges.
The most common amenities for aquatic, parks and recreation, and other facilities.
The biggest trends driving decision-making in aquatic, recreation, sports and fitness facilities for the past 20 years.
DATE: THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2026 3p ET / 2:00 PM CT / 12:00 PM PT
Speakers:
Emily Tipping
Editorial Director, Recreation Management
For nearly 20 years, Emily has led Recreation Management’s editorial team, helping guide the magazine’s content in print and online, and moderating educational webinars for more than five years. She launched the magazine’s State of the Industry Report in 2007, adding the Aquatic Trends Report to expand on this comprehensive research in 2019.
Justin Caron
Principal & CEO, Aquatic Design Group
Justin has spent his entire life around aquatics. Son of an ASCA level 4 coach, Justin developed a passion for water early and translated that passion to success as a swimmer at the club, high school, NCAA, and USA Swimming levels. Following graduation, he coached at elite swim camps around the country while working full time. In 2005, Justin transitioned into the world of aquatics consulting working his way up from business development to being named CEO of Aquatic Design Group in 2019. Since 2005, he has personally managed over 800 projects, spoken at over 100 industry events, and written or been featured in over 75 publications and podcasts. Justin is a member of several industry committees and boards and strives to improve lives through equitable access to water for people of all generations and abilities.
Scott Crawford, PLA, ASLA, LEED AP
Principal, RDG Planning & Design
Scott is a Principal at RDG Planning & Design with over 20 years of experience delivering complex, high-impact projects for public, private and nonprofit clients across parks, recreation, conservation, sports, destination and tourism, and community development markets. He is recognized for providing strategic leadership throughout the planning and design process—guiding multidisciplinary teams, aligning stakeholders, and translating vision into implementable, outcome-driven solutions. His approach is rooted in creating distinctive, place-based experiences that elevate cultural identity, strengthen environmental systems, and foster healthy, resilient communities. Beyond his professional work, Scott serves in leadership roles on public, nonprofit and foundation boards, where he actively advances initiatives that shape community outcomes. He is an internationally published author and regularly contributes to professional discourse at local, state, regional and national conferences. His collaborative work on award-winning projects has been recognized by leading organizations including the American Society of Landscape Architects, American Institute of Architects, American Planning Association, National Recreation and Park Association, National Association of Counties, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and others—reflecting a consistent track record of design excellence and industry leadership.