When one door closes, another opens!

With the opening of the brand new Health Club, Crèche, Spin Room and Group/Family Change Rooms the APARC Renewal is finally feeling real and tangible. After an initial 7 months of largely behind the scenes work we are beginning to see the results unveiled at a startling pace. I find that it’s the unperceived finishing touches such as the extended vinyl flooring and metal baseboards that add to this feeling of completeness.

“When one door closes, another opens” – Alexander Graham Bell

Alex’s words ring true in a literal sense when it comes to the Ashburton Change Rooms. The closure of our old Main Change Rooms will coincide with the opening of our brand new Dry Change Rooms (don’t be fooled, they do have showers), creating a smooth transition for members and guests. Closure of the existing Main Change Rooms will result in a final goodbye to our aged tiles, shower partitions but also the dated plumbing and lighting fixtures, which is an exciting development for any avid greenies out there.

A recent study conducted by Sydney Water outlined the breakdown of typical water usage within an aquatic centre. This breakdown attributed 22% of a Centre’s usage to leaks, noting that a leaking tap can waste up to 221,000 litres per year. Some of these leaks are hidden whilst many are visible such as old washers and tap fittings. As we transition to brand new plumbing, combined with water efficient fixtures, we are sure to see a reduction in this usage.

In addition to improved water usage the new areas have seen significant improvements in lighting efficiency. The new areas are being upgraded to energy efficient LED alternatives. What does this mean for energy usage?

Spaces where there were previously 2 x 36-watt florescent tubes (72-watts) have been replaced with 1 x 25-watt LED tubes.

Spaces where there were previously 50-watt halogen down-lights have been replaced with 13-watt LED down-lights.

These changes are taking effect throughout the Centre, most recently in the upstairs ‘Wellness Deck’. You would have noticed some significant works occurring upstairs and you can take comfort that these works are occurring at a rapid pace. Unlike many of the other areas within the Centre, the construction crews have been able to work in this space without delay or interruption. As a result the space has already been gutted and wall frames erected ready for plastering.

I look forward to joining you in a Yoga class at the not-to-distant the opening of the ‘Wellness Deck’.

With regard for a sustainable future, yours truly,

Lachie McLean – Environment, Sustainability and Operations Coordinator

2015 is here!

Welcome to the first 2015 edition of the APARC Renewal Blog. I'd like to welcome APARC Health Club Team Leader as our guest blogger - talking all things health club and more!

The new year is now well and truly underway and as most people start back at work this week, at APARC we’ve already been surging forward with work on our renewal! You’d be forgiven for thinking Santa had made a very prosperous visit to Ashy over the holidays because new, exciting things have started appearing all over!  If you’ve been away on sunny holidays or just having a nice, quiet break, here’s what you can expect to find when you head back into the centre.

Health Club Relocation:

The Health Club has a new, temporary home in the Group Fitness room extension on the ground floor (soon to be known as Program Room 1). We did some reshuffling and have added more Cardio machines to the upstairs Cardio Room. Our move into the newly developed space has freed up work to really get ramped up on the new Health Club and ramped up it sure has! All the glass has gone in along the front and back extensions and the whole space is a hive of activity vailed behind black, plastic sheeting. Get excited because it’s all coming very, very soon!

Front Entrance and Foyer:

The finishing touches are being put onto our new entrance and reception foyer with the turn stiles going over the last couple of  weeks. The pedestrian crossing outside the centre has been redone and the curbing fixed. You’ll also notice much of the scaffolding and building materials along there have been removed which has given us a facelift and means we’ll be using our new entrance soon.

Program Room 2:

Program Room 2 (or the Spin room) is only days away from completion. Starting on February 9^th, this room is our first big launch and the first of many to come. The new timber flooring has been laid, the new spin bikes are already being put through their paces by members.

The Outdoor Pool:

The Outdoor Pool is looking fantastic and has been very popular over the summer break. Members have been loving the landscaping, new bench sitting areas, shade sail umbrellas and turf to play on. And there’s still more to come! The Hob is yet to be completely rendered and there is a storage shed being built in the western corner.

Upstairs:

The upstairs Cardio room and Group Fitness room can once again be accessed via the staircase near the Café. Works have commenced on the landing where new consultation suites and offices are going to be located. The Cardio room and Group Fitness room remain fully operational during these works.

Thank you again for your ongoing support and enthusiasm with the renewal. 2015 is going to APARC’s best year to date and we can’t wait to share it with you!

Matt Hanton
Health Club Team Leader
Ashburton Pool and Recreation Centre