The BRS Culture Committee is putting a fresh coat of paint on an old tradition. To keep our creativity flowing in all directions, we have relaunched our in-house art program with an ongoing series of Maker Nights.

Each night will feature a different guest curator from one of our talented staff who is responsible for choosing the medium and providing artistic direction and inspiration [wine and beer].

The relaunch of the program was curated by Jen Jursnick, who brought all the tools for participants to explore form and color with the creation of custom stamps and patterns.

Our designers took some time to ‘ditch the digital’ and put the rubber to the fabric to put their sketches in living color.

The museum-worthy results will remain on display in our dedicated exhibit space [the refrigerator] until the next Maker Night when Mick Massey takes us to the easel with watercolors!

As recreation design specialists, there are many elements that are not common to find in other types of buildings. One of those is ball storage. Most recreation centers have basketballs, soccer balls and volleyballs available for loan, typically found behind the control desk. Depending on client preference and the number of balls that are wanted, there are some different types of ball storage that can be designed. Here are a couple of the most common options.

Dowel Ball Storage
Dowel ball storage is one of our favorites. There are different variations depending on the amount of balls, space that is available, and whether you want the balls behind doors, or exposed to the public.

Putting balls behind cabinet doors creates a nice sleek look that can fit with the rest of the casework in the space. Some choose to have solid doors, while others like to show off the balls a little with mesh inserts.
These can be designed to have a lower cabinet or drawers for storage of other items or balls such as tennis balls, ping pong balls and pickle balls.

If limited on space, they can be narrow:

Or short:

Dowel ball storage can also become part of the design and have the balls be visible to the public.

Cart Ball Storage
Cart ball storage allows for a simple yet practical way to store balls with the added flexibility of moving them to different areas of the building.

Typically, cart storage is designed to fit under a portion of the desk, so some early design is necessary to coordinate the size of cart.

Custom Ball Storage
Want a way to store your balls that really stands out? BRS can design a solution customized to your specific needs.

Virtual Reality is the latest technological advancement taking the architectural profession by a storm. This technology came to the profession in the late 1980’s and has evolved exponentially in the last 30 years to become the most impactful influence on architectural design since the introduction of BIM modeling.

Here at BRS we have begun to implement some basic virtual reality components into our design process. We created 360° panoramic views for the Woodland Park Aquatic Center that you can experience through a mobile phone, tablet or a virtual reality HMD (head mounted display). After this seamless addition to our workflow, anyone can delve into the immersive virtual world and analyze every aspect of a project.

This experience can give the designer a closer representation of how the finished space will feel and perform, giving them a clearer understanding of what they are creating so that they can convey the idea clearly to the client. From proportions to color representations, virtual reality helps bridge the gap of education and clear up miscommunication between architects, clients, and consultants that we are all so familiar with. 2D drawings can be difficult to interpret when trying to visualize the finished product.

Using virtual reality, we can greatly mitigate those big surprises that cause hesitation and design change during the construction phase and often have costly results. We have also found it to be particularly helpful when evaluating the safety of our recreational facilities and aquatic centers. It gives the designer the ability to check whether blind spots exist in the pool area or child watch zones. This creates safer spaces for children to have fun, with less risk of accidental injuries occurring in an unsupervised area.

We have only dipped our toes into this new virtual experience with these 360° panoramic views but will continue to explore and research how we can better implement this new and exciting technology into our professional practice.
Here are three 360° panoramic views of the Woodland Park Aquatic Center that is under construction and scheduled for completion this fall.

LOBBY

LAP POOL

LEISURE POOL

 

Last month, we gathered with the Woodland Aquatic Center project team and community members to celebrate the topping out of the new center for the City Above the Clouds. Representatives from the City along with project team members from Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture and Adolfson & Peterson Construction got together to sign the last structural beam before it was put in place and were joined by a few elementary classes who walked over from the school to take part in the celebration. Mayor Nick Levy made a short speech, and from the excitement of the crowd, it was evident that the Woodland Park community cannot wait for their new aquatic center!

The new facility will be an important addition to the community, and BRS has been using new imaging technologies to showcase the design and construction of the project, and help the City with fundraising efforts for the addition of a water slide. 

Our designers brought along our newest intern, Tanner Lopez, to showcase our virtual reality model of the project. Community members got to walk around the project being built while seeing what the finished building and views would look like on screen. These models will be used to excite and inform potential donors with a more experiential way of understanding the opportunity for the future center.

Slated for completion later this summer, the project will open its doors to an excited community ready to experience the pools in real life!

A packed parking lot full of excited community members.

Team members Daniel Matoba, Ken Berendt, Sarah Fischer and Carrie Heimmer leave their mark.

VIP's get their chance to sign off on the project.

And explore the building in virtual reality. 

In addition to regular photos taken during Construction Administration to document the process and help work through any issues that come up, BRS Associate Carrie Heimmer has been taking 360 degree photos of the project (along with its amazing views). Check out the full 360 view of the exterior here.

And click here to read more about how BRS is using digital imaging technologies to bring our clients' visions to life!

Last week a group of BRSer’s visited a job site that is very close to home. The Carla Madison Recreation Center is the first urban public rec center in the State of Colorado and it is less than four miles from our office. Having recently “topped out”, we climbed to the highest level and saw what will become the event space with amazing views to downtown Denver and the mountains beyond.

As we made our way down the stairs, we stopped at the gym and fitness areas on the second floor. When the building is complete, this floor will have a window that looks out onto the East High School clock tower.

On the first floor, we saw the rebar that will form the lap pool and leisure pool. These two pools will be a great asset for both families and athletes in the community.

Lastly, we walked around the site. We were excited to see the piers being installed for the exterior rock climbing wall on the east side of the building, and the beginnings of a three-tier rain garden on the west side that will treat rainwater before it is returned to the city stormwater system. Lastly, a staff favorite in the office, we got eyes on the location of a new dog park on the north side of the building.

After the tour, many BRSer’s headed to RiNo to explore a first Friday tour in our office neighborhood. It is wonderful to be working in a part of Denver that always has so much going on!