The world's largest YMCA was recently opened in the Seton community of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This 330,000 sq. ft. recreation facility began construction in 2016 and was completed in early 2019. Built by the City of Calgary and operated by the YMCA, the Brookfield Residential YMCA at Seton is not your parents' YMCA, it offers a fitness area, a gym, library, art studios, a theatre, daycare, multipurpose community rooms, two arenas, as well as competition and recreational swimming pool areas.

To provide a uniform aesthetic and a phenomenal quality of light for both the recreation and competitive aquatic facilities, SMP Lighting chose Lumenpulse Lumenbeam luminaires. "Our client didn't want "warehouse-style" luminaires or the type of lighting that goes with them," said Geoff Bouckley, Architectural Lighting Consultant, SMP Lighting. "They wanted fixtures that not only looked good, but ones that also provided the light needed to create a safe and exciting public space."

Also of great importance was the placement of luminaires. Due to maintenance and other concerns, luminaires were not to be placed over the bodies of water, instead, they had to be mounted along the perimeter of the pools, lighting from afar instead of directly downlighting. The Lumenbeam optics (Flood 40º) and outputs offer uniform lighting of the water, evenly covering the middle of the Olympic-sized pools while projecting from the peripheral edges of the space. The luminaires used in the pool areas also needed a light source that would not create glare on the water's surface. The optical angles and positioning of the Lumenbeam luminaires expertly create no glare on or around the water's surface. The luminaires simultaneously answered the call for lower overall maintenance as they are built to withstand the rigours of wet areas and provide a lumen maintenance of 120,000 hours (L70 at 77°F).

While the majority of Lumenbeam Extra Large luminaires are pendant mounted from the ceiling, others were yoke-mounted of the walls and aimed to provide more precise illumination thanks to their Very Narrow 6º optics. These fixtures accentuate essential areas throughout the aquatic spaces, such as doorways, diving areas, walls and lifeguard towers. Because large amounts of sunlight also light the pools, these luminaires reach into places the sunlight cannot, providing thorough and safe lighting during both day and night. "One of the challenges we faced was finding a luminaire that could easily be controlled to coincide with the massive amount of sunlight that entered the pool areas," said Bouckley, "The Lumenbeam fixtures were easy to commission and answered the challenge perfectly."

The Olympic-level diving platforms are lit using Lumendome Medium Colour Changing luminaires mounted in the base of the diving platform alcove. The Lumendome luminaires offer a wide viewing angle using a 240° domed optic that enables views from any direction. These luminaires add a colourful allure to the diving area and can be colour changed to reflect events and holidays as well as refreshing the aesthetic of the facility. Similar to the Lumenbeam luminaires, the Lumendome Medium fixtures are made from architectural-grade materials and offer a lifetime of 120,000-hour lumen maintenance (L70 at 77 °F).

Using Lumenpulse luminaires as a tool to reach their goal, SMP Lighting has created an energetic yet sophisticated lighting design that has provides an unwavering safety element for the aquatic areas of the world's largest YMCA. It's no stretch to say, Lumenpulse luminaires make a splash wherever they go.


EQUIPMENT SPECIFIED:

64 x Lumenbeam Extra Large Pendant (4000K, Very Narrow 6°)
35 x Lumenbeam Extra Large (4000K, Flood 40°)
10 x Lumendome Medium Colour Changing



Client: YMCA Canada

Lighting Design: SMP Lighting

Photographer: Ian Grant