Located right along the Clinch River, Harriman, Tennessee, saw the need for an aquatic-type center. Though they have river access, they saw the opportunity to improve their residents’ quality of life by adding a public water park. Wold worked with the City of Harriman to provide a preliminary cost estimate and conceptual layout for a grant application before beginning the new construction.
The new construction consisted of the splash pad, parking lot, and sidewalks, all of which are ADA accessible. The splash pad serves as a multiage play area with a top play zone, family fun zone, and teen action zone. The equipment on the splash pad is designed with energy conservation in mind. This equipment is turned on via a button the user presses stays on for a select amount of time, then turns back off, saving water, electricity, and chemicals used to treat the water. The playground consisted of new sidewalks, parking lot, and playground, all ADA accessible. The playground also has age-appropriate sections, with one area for two through five-year-olds and another for 5-12.
One challenge that came with this project was the slope of the site for the splash pad. It was essential to make the entire park ADA accessible, so the slope had to remain under five percent. To overcome this, serpentine sidewalks were used to add more length, and the splash pad was moved further back and rotated. This gave the desired accessibility, and it also allowed room for future addition of restroom and concessions building. The Wold team takes great pride in knowing the Harriman and surrounding communities will enjoy this park for years to come.