HMC Architects was selected to deliver a preliminary report for the City of Manhattan Beach’s Begg Pool upgrade project.

The current pool is 80 years old and in a state of disrepair. To help bring this pool back to life, HMC was tasked with conducting site analysis, leading community engagement meetings, and developing two distinct designs with cost estimates for the city to determine the next steps. One option being considered includes renovating the existing 25-yeard pool and buildings at the current Begg Pool site. The other involves designing a new aquatics center that includes a 25-yard pool, a 35-meter competition pool, and support buildings at the current site.

Manhattan Beach Unified School District owns the property on which Polliwog Park and the Begg Pool Facility sit, which makes the district a collaborator, stakeholder, and partner. This pool has spanned generations of Manhattan Beach residents and has very much become part of the foundation of the community. Given the importance to the community, community involvement was paramount. At the beginning of the project, HMC’s design team (Kevin Holland, Adilene Contreras, Brad Glassick, and Simon Solis) presented the project to the school district and later hosted a community engagement event. These meetings and events helped ensure we understood the community’s vision and goals for the facility.  During the engagement event, we asked residents for their opinions on building amenities, facility features, pool types and configurations, and programming. Residents also had the opportunity to manipulate a site model to “build their own Begg Pool” and voice their opinions on the project’s design.

In February, the team presented two design options to the Manhattan Beach community. Throughout March and April, the design options will go before the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, the city council, and Manhattan Beach Unified School District.

This project has a personal connection to HMC, as our Managing Principal Kristina Singiser grew up in Manhattan Beach and took swim lessons and PE classes at Begg Pool. With the community’s input and support, the new pool renovation will support future generations of Manhattan Beach families and give them a valuable place to play and connect with their neighbors.