The City of Mountain View received a 2025 California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS) Award of Excellence in the Facility Design – New Build (Aquatics) category for the Rengstorff Park Aquatics Center. The CPRS Awards of Excellence are among the most competitive honors in California parks and recreation, recognizing exceptional projects that exemplify innovation in planning, design, sustainability, and community impact. Only one project is selected statewide in each category annually. Congratulations to the entire team!
rengstorff PARK aquatic center
mountain view, ca
Alongside our partners at ELS Architecture and Urban Design, Aquatic Design Group provided design, engineering, and construction observation services for Schematic Design through Construction Administration phases for the replacement of the Rengstorff Aquatic Center, which was not meeting the needs of a modern municipal aquatics program and had reached the end of its useful life. In response, the City of Mountain View developed a state-of-the-art, all-electric aquatic center designed to serve the community year-round while advancing the City’s ambitious sustainability goals. The new facility is recognized as one of California’s first all-electric outdoor municipal aquatic centers powered by heat pump technology and integrated photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) solar systems.
The new Rengstorff Park Aquatics Center features a 25-yard x 25-meter competition pool with diving boards, along with an approximately 4,600-square-foot recreation pool designed for multi-generational aquatic programming. The activity pool includes a zero-depth beach entry, interactive water play features, lap and fitness areas, and a waterslide to support recreation swim, learn-to-swim programs, therapy, and family use. Additional amenities include modern locker rooms, community gathering space, expanded deck areas, and landscaped outdoor recreation zones capable of accommodating more than 1,500 visitors per day.
A defining feature of the project is its innovative all-electric aquatic heating infrastructure. To eliminate fossil fuel use, the facility utilizes electric air-to-water heat pumps paired with advanced photovoltaic-thermal solar panels that simultaneously generate electricity and capture thermal energy. The integrated system supports pool water heating, domestic hot water, and building heating through a network of dedicated heat exchangers designed to maximize energy efficiency and long-term operational sustainability. The solar installation includes more than 200 hybrid PVT panels generating renewable electricity while offsetting significant heating demand for the aquatic facility.
Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, the Rengstorff Park Aquatics Center establishes a new benchmark for sustainable municipal aquatic center design in California. The facility demonstrates how environmentally responsible engineering, renewable energy integration, and community-focused aquatic programming can successfully combine to create a resilient, future-forward public aquatics destination.
See the magazine feature here.
See all the 2025 winners here.