A Place to Bathe

The Paralympic Spa is designed for wheelchair users who compete in the Olympics here in the U.S.A. or are genreally involved in wheelchair sports. The spa allows the user to be completely independent from the confines of a wheelchair both mentally and physically through the incorporation of a handrail into the walls of the pool area. The shower incorporates an ergonomic Japanese bamboo spout and control lever to provide the user with optimum comfort. Upon entering the spa each person is provided with a wheelchair that is made from Nordic white spruce wood. This wheelchair is capable of reclining to any angle desired. This feature is primarily utilized in the sauna where one is able to recline or lie down on the same wood that is in a regular sauna.
Moving from the sauna to the shower and then into the pool is a ramp that allows the user to slowly transition into the pool. It is in this hallway where the walls are dark, the floor is the datum line, and the feeling is cave like with the water rushing down the rocks. As soon as the user hits the buoyancy point he or she is lifted from the chair and is able to grasp the handrail on the wall. The wheelchair is taken into the side storage areas shown in the plan view. The visual here is that the user goes from the cave like experience in the wheelchair into freedom where the sky opens up, the views are beautiful and expansive, and the light fills the space with its glory. From here each person is able to navigate the entire pool area without his or her wheelchair.