Recognizing a destination where aquatic design, hospitality, adventure, and culture come together.
We’re proud to announce that OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark has been honored with a 2026 Dream Design Award from Aquatics International, recognizing the project as an exceptional example of aquatic design and innovation.
For ADCI, this recognition is especially meaningful because OKANA represents the kind of project that challenges conventional ideas about what a waterpark can be.
Located in Oklahoma City and developed by the Chickasaw Nation, OKANA is a destination built around much more than water. It brings together a luxury resort, indoor waterpark, outdoor lagoon, entertainment, dining, events, and cultural experiences into one cohesive environment.
Designing More Than a Waterpark
From the beginning, the goal for OKANA was to create an experience that felt different from a traditional waterpark resort. The result is a destination where water is central to the guest experience, but it is only one part of a much larger story.
The 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark provides year-round entertainment, while the expansive outdoor lagoon creates a resort-style environment centered around water, sand, relaxation, and adventure. Together, these spaces give guests a variety of ways to experience the property, from high-energy attractions to quieter moments of relaxation.
The design intentionally creates opportunities for discovery throughout the resort. Guests can move between aquatic attractions, hospitality spaces, entertainment, dining, and outdoor environments while continually finding something new to experience. That approach was central to the design vision: creating a destination where every part of the experience feels connected.
A Destination Rooted in Culture
One of the most important aspects of OKANA is its connection to the Chickasaw Nation.
The resort is deeply rooted in the culture, history, and artistic traditions of the Chickasaw Nation. Art, materials, patterns, and design elements throughout the property help tell that story while creating an environment that feels distinctly connected to its location.
This cultural connection was never intended to feel separate from the resort experience. Instead, it is integrated throughout the property, creating a sense of place that helps distinguish OKANA from other waterpark destinations.
That combination of cultural identity and contemporary hospitality was an important part of the project's design challenge and one of the elements that makes OKANA so unique.
Designing for Every Guest
A successful waterpark resort needs to appeal to a wide range of guests. Children want excitement and discovery. Families need spaces that allow everyone to have fun together. Adults want opportunities to relax and recharge. Resort guests expect comfort, convenience, and amenities that extend beyond the waterpark.
OKANA was designed with all of these experiences in mind. The project brings together thrilling aquatic attractions with resort-style amenities, dining, entertainment, relaxation spaces, and outdoor experiences. The result is a destination where guests can create very different experiences depending on what they are looking for.
Collaboration Makes the Vision Possible
Projects of this scale and complexity don't happen because of one team or one idea. OKANA represents the work of an incredibly talented group of owners, designers, consultants, contractors, manufacturers, and industry partners who worked together to bring the Chickasaw Nation's vision to life.
For ADCI, being part of that team was an incredible opportunity. Our work on OKANA reflects our approach to hospitality and aquatic design: listen carefully to the owner's vision, understand how guests will experience the space, and develop a design that brings those ideas together in a way that is both memorable and functional. The Dream Design Award is a recognition of that collective effort.
Recognition for a One-of-a-Kind Destination
The 2026 Dream Design Award adds to a growing list of recognition for OKANA. Earlier this year, OKANA was named one of TIME's World’s Greatest Places of 2026, with TIME highlighting the destination's combination of waterpark experiences, resort amenities, and Indigenous art and culture.
OKANA has also been recognized by the World Waterpark Association with a 2025 Leading Edge Award, recognizing the project's innovation and creative development.
These honors are exciting, but perhaps more importantly, they reinforce something we believed from the beginning!
OKANA is different.
It demonstrates how thoughtful design can transform a waterpark into an immersive destination, one that creates memorable guest experiences while celebrating the culture and vision of its owners. We are incredibly proud to have been part of bringing that vision to life and grateful to the Chickasaw Nation and our many project partners for the collaboration that made OKANA possible.
Congratulations to the entire OKANA team on this well-deserved recognition!
We’re proud to see OKANA recognized as a Dream Design.
