Construction is set to begin on Tufts’ new Aquatics Center following a community access and design process with Medford residents.
The project, announced with the architectural firm Sasaki in March, received approval from the city of Medford, with a building permit issued after several design alterations were considered. The project was presented before the Medford Community Development Board three times before being unanimously approved, according to university administrators.
Feedback from the board included concerns that the scale and material of the Olympic-sized aquatic center would feel too “monolithic.” The city also requested several safety enhancements, including creating a pedestrian crosswalk on College Ave. and adding safety beacons, which will be incorporated into the project.
Chris Sgarzi, a senior principal and architect at Sasaki, as well as the project’s lead, said that the firm, in collaboration with the university, took resident concerns into account through several changes.
“At the request of the City and the direction of the University administration, we added more detail and articulation to the south facade. This additional detail provides a pedestrian scale and relief to the large wall by introducing additional angled window slots,” Sgarzi wrote in a statement to the Daily. “The angle helps to control the potential glare on the inside and guards the windows from the baseball diamond, while providing additional interest and lighting both inside and out.”
He added that brick was being used due to its cost-effectiveness, durability and ubiquity on Tufts’ campus. The finalized design will also include a line of trees to break down the scale of the complex.
To further improve the aesthetic quality of the space, the university will consider artwork for some of the surrounding plaza areas, according to Robert Corbett, executive director of capital projects at Tufts.
Once complete, the facility is set to house the Tufts swimming and diving teams, with university administrators adding that the larger scope of the center is to create more access for Tufts community members. Beyond design considerations, some residents have expressed their desire for the space to be accessible for surrounding community use as well.
“It is becoming increasingly apparent that going forward we all must embrace and encourage inclusive community activity,” Nona Hershey, a Somerville resident, wrote in an email to the Daily. “What better way to support this than welcoming Somerville residents in the Tufts Aquatic Center!”
“The broader Tufts student and faculty community will benefit by having more recreational opportunities and the availability of additional programming and access once the building opens,” Corbett wrote in a statement to the Daily.
Rocco DiRico, associate vice president of government and community relations at Tufts, highlighted recreational swim hours and lessons for residents who abut the property.
The new facility will also be entirely electric and will employ a variety of energy-saving features to reduce the building’s carbon footprint.
“This is rarely seen for such a large pool facility with such a great water heating load,” Sgarzi wrote. “The pool basin and its structure [are] a pre-engineered stainless steel system which is much lighter and saves about 50% of the embodied carbon used to construct a conventional cast-in-place concrete pool covered with tile.”
Sasaki has completed several similar aquatic projects at other universities, including Colby College, Grinnell College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, according to Sgarzi.
“Every project, site, and client is unique, but this is a project type that we are bringing very relevant experience to,” Sgarzi wrote.
When construction begins in the fall, a large portion of the Cousens parking lot will be closed to accommodate the new building. A temporary alternative entry point for cars will be established. Around 140 spaces will be lost during construction, though existing parking facilities such as Dowling Hall have sufficient capacity to guarantee adequate campus parking, according to Corbett. He also stated that a review of existing recreational swim hours will occur once the construction is finished to determine whether they should be expanded.
The timeline for completion of the aquatic center remains on track and is set to be finished in time for the 2028–29 academic year.
