Aquatic and Marine Design — Frequently Asked Questions

Oceanis is an aquatic design and engineering consultancy that provides planning, design, and operational consulting for water-based facilities. This includes community aquatic centres, aquariums, marine research laboratories, resort and wellness pools, zoological habitats, geothermal heating systems, and aquaculture facilities. Oceanis works across the full project lifecycle — from feasibility studies and financial analysis through concept and detailed design, construction documentation, commissioning, and operations advisory.

Oceanis International is based in Perth, Western Australia. The firm works on projects across Australia and internationally, with completed projects in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific, North America, Europe, and Africa.

Oceanis has been operating for more than 25 years and has completed over 400 projects worldwide. The firm’s work spans public aquatic centres and resort pools through to major marine research facilities such as the AIMS SeaSim in Queensland and the KAUST Coral Restoration facility in Saudi Arabia.

Oceanis works across eight main project categories: aquatic centres, aquariums, marine research facilities, geothermal heating systems, resort and wellness pools, zoological facilities, aquaculture facilities, and marine parks. Projects range from individual pool designs through to large-scale mixed-use aquatic precincts and internationally significant research infrastructure.

Yes. While Oceanis is based in Perth, Australia, the firm has completed projects across six continents. Current and recent international work includes projects in Saudi Arabia, Fiji, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Maldives, and the United Arab Emirates. Oceanis’ international experience informs its understanding of different regulatory environments, water conditions, and operational contexts.

Oceanis provides specialist design and consulting services for a wide range of aquatic environments — from community aquatic centres and resort pools to public aquariums, and advanced marine research and aquaculture facilities. Our team supports clients through every stage of their project, including planning and feasibility and concept development, design, construction, commissioning, and ongoing optimisation.

The earlier the better. Engaging a specialist aquatic consultant at the feasibility stage — before architectural design begins — allows guest and user experience, energy use, and capital and operational cost considerations to inform the project brief from the outset. Retrofitting aquatic-specific requirements into an advanced architectural design can result in compromised outcomes due to the specialty nature of aquatic elements in a project. Oceanis regularly works with clients from initial feasibility through to commissioning, but can also provide specialist input at a specific project stage.

No. Oceanis is a design and engineering consultancy, not a construction company. Oceanis produces the design documentation, specifications, and construction drawings that contractors build from. During construction, Oceanis can provide technical review, site inspections, and commissioning services to ensure the built facility matches the design intent.

An Oceanis feasibility study typically covers demand analysis, capital cost estimation, operating cost modelling (including water treatment, energy, and staffing), revenue projections where relevant, site assessment, and preliminary concept options. Because Oceanis International specialises exclusively in aquatic and marine facilities, its feasibility work draws on operating cost benchmarks from 400+ completed projects, not generic construction industry data.

Oceanis acts as a specialist aquatic consultant for a project, at times as lead consultant with a sub-consulted design team, and at times within a broader project team. The firm collaborates with architects, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, landscape architects, economists and facility operators. Oceanis International leads coordination and design for the aquatic elements of a project, providing services that range from brief development and financial analysis, to concept and detailed engineering of pool hydraulics, water treatment systems, heating, aquaria and marine research lab systems including seawater intakes, acrylic viewing panels, exhibitry, and lab fit-outs.

Aquatic centres involve a set of interrelated technical systems that most building types don’t have: pool hydraulics, water treatment and disinfection, heating and energy systems (often including geothermal), humidity and air quality management, structural loads from large water volumes, and acoustic and waterproofing risks when built at height. These systems interact; a change in pool heating approach affects HVAC design, energy consumption, and operating costs simultaneously.

Capital costs vary significantly depending on facility size, complexity, location, and the range of aquatic elements included. A single competition pool facility has very different cost drivers to a multi-pool leisure centre with water play, warm water therapy, and geothermal heating. Oceanis’ feasibility studies provide project-specific capital and operating cost estimates based on real benchmark data from comparable completed facilities, rather than generic per-square-metre rates.

Energy and operational efficiency reviews can identify significant savings in existing aquatic facilities. Common areas of improvement include heating system optimisation (particularly upgrading to or rehabilitating geothermal systems), water treatment efficiency, pump and filtration scheduling, and HVAC integration with pool hall conditions. As an example, Oceanis’ sustainability review of the Cockburn Aquatics and Recreation Centre in Western Australia identified potential savings of up to $150,000 per year and a reduction of approximately 430 tonnes of CO₂ annually.

Geothermal pool heating uses naturally occurring thermal energy from underground water sources (aquifers) to heat pool water. In Western Australia, where aquifer water temperatures can be significant, geothermal pool heating can reduce or eliminate reliance on gas or electric heating systems. Oceanis International has designed geothermal pool heating systems for multiple public aquatic centres in Perth, including Craigie Leisure Centre, CCGS/MLC Aquatic Facilities, Scarborough Beach Pool, Perth High Performance Centre, and the City of Gosnells SPLASH facility. 

Yes. Oceanis has completed geothermal rehabilitation projects on existing facilities where ageing or underperforming geothermal systems were redesigned to significantly improve thermal output. At Craigie Leisure Centre in Perth, Oceanis rehabilitated an 18-year-old geothermal system, increasing thermal output from approximately 250 kW to 1,600 kW — avoiding an estimated 349 tonnes of CO₂ in the first year of operation and generating annual savings exceeding $100,000.

Geothermal systems have higher upfront capital costs but significantly lower operating costs over the facility’s lifetime. Efficient geothermal pool heating greatly reduces or eliminates ongoing energy costs, whereas gas and electricity prices fluctuate and have in recent years trended significantly upward. For public aquatic centres that operate year-round, the lifecycle cost advantage of geothermal can be substantial. Oceanis’ feasibility studies model the full lifecycle comparison for each specific site, factoring in aquifer water temperature, flow rates, pool volumes, and local energy pricing.

Oceanis International designs integrated and immersive guest experiences as well as the aquatic engineering systems that keep aquarium and zoo environments functioning — from preliminary feasibility studies and brief development to detailed life support systems, acrylic viewing panels, exhibitry, water treatment and filtration, seawater intake and discharge, tank hydraulics, temperature and water quality control. The firm’s ecosystem of designers and aquarium specialists lead or work in collaboration with exhibit designers, architects, and economists to ensure the projects support visitor experience, animal welfare and operational considerations. Oceanis has completed aquarium design work for projects including the Ocean Park Grand Aquarium in Hong Kong, Melbourne Zoo Wild Sea Exhibits, and the Dubai Mall Aquarium.

Marine animal environments require precise, species-specific control of water quality parameters — temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and flow rates — maintained continuously and monitored in real time. Life support systems must handle biological filtration loads that public pools don’t generate. The consequences of system failure are also fundamentally different: in a public pool, a filtration issue may close the facility temporarily; in an aquarium, it can directly affect animal health and welfare. Oceanis designs these systems with redundancy, automated monitoring, and fail-safe protocols appropriate to the species and facility type.

Marine research facilities require highly controlled aquatic environments where researchers can manipulate variables — temperature, salinity, light, pH, water flow — independently across multiple experimental streams. Oceanis International designs seawater process infrastructure (intake, filtration, storage, distribution, discharge), life support systems, environmental control systems, and monitoring infrastructure for these facilities. The AIMS SeaSim laboratory in Queensland, designed by Oceanis, is recognised as one of the most advanced marine research facilities in the world.

Yes. Several Oceanis projects use locally available seawater as the primary water source — including the AIMS SeaSim in Queensland and the KAUST marine laboratories in Saudi Arabia. Designing with natural seawater involves additional complexity: intake system design, membrane filtration, salinity correction, biosecurity protocols, and EPA-compliant discharge systems. Oceanis has specific experience in this area, having designed seawater process infrastructure for research, aquarium, and zoological facilities across multiple countries and regulatory environments.

Sustainability in aquatic facilities is primarily about energy and water. Heated pools and aquatic centres are among the most energy-intensive community facilities to operate, so design decisions around pool heating systems, water treatment and hydraulics have a direct and measurable impact on emissions and operating costs. Oceanis integrates energy modelling and lifecycle cost analysis into design from the feasibility stage. The firm’s geothermal pool heating design work and approaches to pools, plant room and water treatment hydraulics and operational efficiency have produced greatly reduced energy use across multiple projects.

Measurable outcomes from Oceanis projects include: Craigie Leisure Centre geothermal rehabilitation — approximately 349 tonnes of CO₂ avoided in the first year and annual savings exceeding $100,000. Cockburn ARC sustainability review — identified potential savings of up to $150,000 per year and approximately 430 tonnes of CO₂ reduction annually. MLC/Christchurch Grammar School — designed one of Australia’s most efficient heated aquatic installations using a hybrid geothermal approach. Oceanis was named a finalist for the Consult Australia Superior Sustainability Award for the Craigie Leisure Centre project.

The Oceanis project portfolio is available at oceanis.com.au/projects, with projects filterable by category — including aquatic centres, aquariums, marine research facilities, geothermal heating, resorts, wellness, zoological facilities, and aquaculture. Individual project pages include details on scope, location, and Oceanis’ role.

Oceanis International is headquartered in Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia. The firm can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by phone at +61 8 9381 5878. Initial enquiries typically begin with a conversation about the project’s scope, stage, and objectives.