2025 West Best Projects
Award of Merit, Sports/Entertainment: William N. Pennington Moana Springs Community Aquatics & Fitness Center

William N. Pennington Moana Springs Community Aquatics & Fitness Center
Nev.
Award of Merit
Submitted by CORE Construction
Owner City of Reno
Lead Design Firm Van Woert Bigotti Architects
General Contractor CORE Construction
Civil Engineer DOWL Engineering
Structural Engineer Shields Engineering
Mechanical Engineer of Record Ainsworth and Associates
Electrical Engineer of Record PK Electrical
Pool Designer /Consultant Aquatic Design Group
First built in 1960, then shut down in 2007, this recreation center’s reconstruction plans were put on hold until 2021, when the city finally resurrected the project. This $45.8-million facility was broken into two phases, with sitework improvements and steel joist procurement in the first and the remaining scope in the second.
The 50,000-sq-ft facility features two indoor pools, a 5,000-sq-ft fitness center and an outdoor soaking pool. Although the project’s design was initially over budget, an extensive value engineering process during preconstruction pinpointed alternative materials, architectural modifications and building system optimizations that reduced costs by 15%.
Before work began, the team considered two options—excavating the pools first, then erecting the building, or the reverse. In the end, the entire precast concrete and structural steel-framed building was built before excavating and constructing the pool shells.
After about two years of construction, the team completed work one month early and approximately $850,000 under budget in August 2024.


