Orangeburg County Aquatics Center

Orangeburg, SC

This recreational amenity serves as a regional draw for Orangeburg County, providing aquatic therapeutic services, programs, and events for all ages. LS3P’s experience in recreation and YMCA facility design in collaboration with national pool and water park specialists translated the site parameters and functional issues into a signature venue for the community.

The new facility operated by the Columbia YMCA includes a year-round natatorium, hydrotherapy/spa pool, gymnasium, fitness center with group exercise, community room, and locker facilities. The center also provides training and competition areas for YMCA swim teams.

National water park designer Kimley-Horn of Houston, TX and pool specialist Counsilman-Hunsaker of St. Louis, MO planned the 1.2-acre outdoor water park. The outdoor pool and water park facilities include tube slides, a children’s activity pool, picnic areas, concessions, and both sun and shade areas. On the “Bowl Slide,” a signature feature of the park, the rider careens down a 35-foot slider into a larger bowl. Centrifugal force keeps the rider swirling around the perimeter until he or she plummets from a central hole in the bottom into the receiving pool below.

Located near the Department of Social Services and Council on Aging, the facility will be ideal for seniors or those with therapeutic needs.