What a surf park development chooses to build and where it puts it affects everything: user experience, operations, profitability… pretty much the whole nine. The layout must include F&B, a surf center large enough to store gear, changing areas, showers, and bathrooms and if there’s room leftover, a viewing area.
Some surf park staples benefit from closer proximity to the waves than others. For example, restaurants with views of the surf extend visitor dwell time because we just can’t take our eyes off the surf. But, at the same time, you can’t ask guests to march 100 yards from the surf center for their session. If the two are in conflict, the architect must weigh the trade-offs.
Common failures in design include retail zones hidden behind utility areas, lack of shade, rental returns clogging entry points, inaccessible staff areas requiring long detours… the list goes on. So how do wave pool project architects decide what to put where? WavePoolMag spoke to two experts in the field, Jim Glina and Bill Duncanson, to get their take on what one must consider when designing a surf park.
How does the shape of the wave lagoon affect what the final surf park will look like?
Bill Duncanson of BAR Architects and Interiors: The shape of the wave basin has a direct impact on the perimeter beach programming that can benefit from proximity to, and views into, the surf pool itself. I generally assume there is a zone of about 75’ “offset” from the “beach” of a surf basin that can really feel part of, and be elevated by, the action in the surf pool. There is a tertiary zone from about 75’ to 150’ that can benefit from views into the pool, but visual access diminishes rapidly after that. Of course, building vertical is a way to increase visual access to the pool if there is enough program to justify it. Two related considerations regarding “beach programming” are view angles into the basin and the distance of the surf action from the beach. The distance between the action and the beach varies from tech to tech, with some close to the beach and some further away. Some techs have shallow view planes on the “sides” of the basin, which would reduce the “offset” distance, or require going vertical, and I don’t consider these areas “beach”. In summary, the area benefiting from visual access into the surf pool directly correlates to basin shape, and surf park design, but there are many programs where it is less critical that they be elevated by this visual access (e.g. water play areas, standing waves, wellness/ spa programming, skateparks, parking, etc.) so, depending on program, the surf park may, or may not, resemble the basin shape.
Jim Glina, AO: The selected wave technology primarily influences the planning of adjacent elements, including the beach experience, operations, and the final mix of structures and amenities around the perimeters. For example, while the surf center is typically centered on the beach by default, this placement may not be optimal for sites with other considerations, such as view corridors intended to promote additional development interests, the need for better public exposure, or challenging topography.
Balancing a wave pool’s Key Performance Indicators with beach programming (the ameneties surrounding the pool) is an art, according to William Duncanson of BAR Architects. And different wave pool footprints present different challenges in design. Below are some examples of various techs: Wavegarden Cove, Kelly Slater Wave Co and Endless Surf, respectively.
Are some footprints easier to design around than others?
Bill Duncanson of BAR Architects and Interiors: Footprint matters but in most cases, I would say footprint matters less than basin size. As a generalization, smaller is better for public/turnstile projects and/or membership projects with higher attendance, and bigger is better for real estate plays or mixed-use developments, where you have more beachfrontage to monetize. Public, hybrid, and some membership models are reliant on higher attendance/utilization/throughput, dwell time, etc., and require diversified beach programming, which requires easy pedestrian circulation. Generally, there is an inverse relationship between high occupancy programming and smaller basins to facilitate an active and integrated beach experience. There are, however, exceptions to these generalizations (e.g., a massive MSA with demand for an extensive beach programming could justify a huge basin!), and basin size typically correlates to ride length/ride time and often capacity. Balancing pool KPI’s with beach programming is an art! When it comes to basin footprint, a regular shape is always easier to design around, and likely better for maximizing utilization of a regularly shaped site. With odd-shaped sites, all bets are off!
Jim Glina: Not necessarily. Each wave lagoon footprint has its own advantages and challenges, and all of them can work successfully with the right approach. The geometry of a site often plays a key role, particularly on smaller or more constrained urban properties where one technology may fit more naturally than another. Most providers offer multiple configurations and sizes, which gives design teams flexibility to match the lagoon to the opportunities and limitations of a specific parcel. Ultimately, selecting the best footprint comes down to a few core factors: how the lagoon aligns with the site’s shape and size, how it integrates with grading and infrastructure, and how it maximizes opportunities for comfortable, functional beachfront and adjacent mixed-use areas. With thoughtful planning, any of the available footprints can be designed to support a vibrant, high-performing surf destination.
How is it designing around, say, an Endless Surf system?
Bill Duncanson, BAR: Designing around an Endless Surf basin is relatively easy. An ES has a high percentage of “beach”, relative to the basin perimeter, with good unobstructed views into the basin, and the action in the pool is the closest to the beach of all the techs out there, so you can really maximize the beach programming that is elevated by the surf. The ability to walk around the basin completely is a great feature in that you are never more than a few minutes from the beach. One consideration in beach design is the location of the surf center/clubhouse relative to the basin entry. Ideally, the surf center/clubhouse is close to the basin entry. With an ES, this is, in most operating scenarios, at the center of the pool. With the surf center/clubhouse in the center, you create two separate beach areas that can be programmed in a variety of complementary ways, each with great views of the surf, proximity to each other, and the surf center. Creative beach zoning and programming is a way to serve different populations/business units within the park and/or solve for seasonality constraints, and an ES lends itself to this flexibility.
How is it designing around the Kelly Slater wave system – challenging?
Bill Duncanson, BAR: Yes, and no. As mentioned above, it depends on your business model/program. If you are selling real estate, the sheer size of the KSWaveCo basin offers the opportunity for many “beach front lots” which will drive value; however, the size of the basin makes for challenges when integrating beach programming that is club or public facing. The surfing is always going to be far from the viewer, and thus less engaging. Operationally, they solve for this with both aquatic and terrestrial mechanical “assist” in getting around the site and pool, and digital means to share the action on land. When designing a beach experience, I like to understand the walk time from different programs to understand the viability of dispersed beach programming. I think that if it takes more than 2-3 minutes to get from A to B, you start thinking about the journey, not the destination. It would take 10 minutes or more to walk from one end of a KSWaveCo to the other. Therefore, I think concentrating beach programming in specific areas is the way to go, as a KSWaveCo experience is almost always going to be a lower occupancy operation. Moreover, KSWaveCo has the most “back” (e.g., non-beach facing perimeter) of any tech out there in the market right now…
