Yakima Valley Home to more than 11,000 acres (45 km2) of vineyards, picturesque Yakima Valley, located in the state of Washington, is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most fertile growing areas. A popular tourist destination for wine enthusiasts, the area also offers a variety of family-friendly attractions, including museums, performance venues and scenic outdoor trails. Design Challenge With contributions from over 400 community donors, the city of Yakima, and its local YMCA and Rotary Clubs, plans were initiated to construct a brand new, $21 million dollar, state-of-the-art Aquatics Centre. A main goal of the project was to design a facility that promoted a healthy lifestyle through strong social engagement and physical activity. Solution For this project, our internal team of aquatic play experts worked in collaboration with design firm Water Technology Inc. to develop an innovative and imaginative aquatic play adventure utilizing features from the Grasslands Collection Installed overtop of a flowing lazy river, the beauty and wonder of nature comes indoors by way of a stunning multi-level Activity Tower. A series of tall Aneth Blooms cluster together to create an elegant floral canopy of showering water while splashing insects perch throughout the structure inviting imaginative play. Interactive leaf cannons encourage hands-on play and a masterful, translucent dumping bucket, located above the wading pool, captivates those huddled below awaiting its refreshing splash! For thrill-seeking enthusiasts, two slide flumes, one larger and the other for tots, provide a quick exit route into the adjacent wading pool. Impact Perfectly serving the community it was designed for, the new Yakima Valley Aquatic Centre is a spectacular facility that delivers on its promise to provide healthy social interaction for families, at risk youth and the entire community of Yakima for many generations to come. Play Features in this project include: • Grasslands Collection • Activity Tower • Sparx • Flutter • Aneth Bloom 3 • Charlotte • Dew Drop • Leaf Panel Splashers