Fitness Spaces

So, needless to say, I'm familiar with all types of fitness spaces, whether it's big box fitness centers or boutique fitness spaces.  I've designed many Multi-Family amenity fitness spaces as well as stand alone fitness spaces. What I can tell you whether you are designing a large fitness center or even a home gym is that it takes a unique balance of art meets science.  It’s not just about the workout, really. Fitness spaces around the Philadelphia, the Main Line and the Tri-State area are stepping up their aesthetics. To get the right balance, it all boils down to the "programming", which is an industry term for how the space needs to function.  What types of activities will take place and who is the end user?

Here are some of my key design goals and considerations for Fitness Centers:

Support the Active Environment

First and foremost, create an interior design environment that supports the energy and activity inherent in the facility:

• High ceilings and ample circulation space encourage activity.
• Interior design and color selection provide a sense of activity but should not overwhelm the eye or clash with other materials.
• Vary the interior volumes to avoid a "big box" feeling.

Delia Designs

• Provide as much natural light as possible while considering glare for patrons.
• Use key activities as design focal points and to enhance interest. This could be the strategic location of a climbing wall visible from the lobby or glass walls at racquetball courts and classes.

Delia Designs | JKRP Architects

Flexibility is critical in Fitness Center design as equipment technology is constantly changing and sports and classes move in and out of fashion. Consider a raised flooring system in the fitness spaces to accommodate equipment with data connections for fitness tracking and to facilitate changing and rearranging equipment. Provide ample storage for fitness supplies and equipment to meet changing needs.

For group exercise rooms, consider designing one large room rather than multiple smaller rooms. This will allow the room size to change as classes wax and wane in popularity. This added flexibility, however, needs to be weighed against the cost and/or acoustical impacts of using movable partitions versus fixed wall construction.

Delia Designs | JKRP Architects

Your body can stand almost anything. It’s your mind that you have to convince. Developing a habit can be hard. While the logical side of your mind knows you should stick to a workout regimen to see results, the emotional side convinces you that skipping one more day won’t hurt anything.  Well, I’m here to tell you that you should definitely roll out of bed and get to that workout. It might not seem like it now, but once you get started, you’ll notice that you’re more energized, your mind is clearer, and you’re feeling sunnier thanks to the burst of endorphins. Not to mention, having an outlet for all that built-up stress will help lower cortisol levels and reduce belly fat – a win-win.