Architecture & Design
Hiring a professional who specializes in fitness facility architecture and design when planning to upgrade an existing location or open a new facility makes good business sense for most club owners. When trying to decide how to maximize use of space, guarantee ease of maintenance, employ efficient use of energy and focus on safety in a club’s design, there are no universally applicable answers. Club design is too important to a successful business plan to be entrusted to rules of thumb or standard prototypes, so whenever possible, club owners should consult a club design specialist to help them tackle the unique challenges they face with each facility. By working with a professional and customizing your club to suit your market, you will enhance your marketing plan by providing new reasons for potential members to join, and you will also end up with a facility that is tailored to the site and shaped to enhance the programs you want to offer.
CURRENT TRENDS
According to Rudy Fabiano, AIA, and an architect at Fabiano Designs, eco-friendly, green design is one of the most important and popular trends in fitness club design and architecture today. Elements of green design can give club owners the ability to reduce operating expenses and can raise the environmental quality of the club for both members and the entire community. “We as designers are always considering the best ways to position our clients to increase market share,” says Fabiano. It makes sense to investigate green options first and to use energy saving alternatives whenever possible. Not only is there value in promoting the eco-friendly aspects of your club to members and potential members, but these improvements may also lessen operating costs in the years to come.
Today, many club owners are also concerned with discovering ways to carve out a niche, which is causing them to rethink what services they offer and for how much. For example, many clubs with lower-priced memberships are deciding what services to omit, while many clubs with higher-priced memberships are deciding what services to add as market differentiators. According to Hervey Lavoie, NCARB and President of Ohlson Lavoie Collaborative, the offering of amenities above and beyond affordable access to equipment is a huge trend in fitness club design right now. This is mainly being driven by the increased intensity of competition in major markets, as more and more facilities target specific portions of the population. Clubs are now being custom designed to fit into saturated markets by targeting certain market segments like families with kids, seniors, mature adults, elite executives and first-time exercisers, just to name a few.
Peter G. Smith, AIA and Director of BWBR Architects, says the firm has been seeing more partnerships emerging with the development of projects in the health and wellness sector. For example, private corporations, fitness organizations and municipalities often each possess one or more of the components necessary for making a project viable, such as land, financing abilities or operating skills. By collaborating in creative ways, these entities can accomplish more together than they ever could on their own.
Technology is also playing a larger part in facility design every year, including advances in audio/visual equipment, technology-supported fitness equipment and biofeedback tools. Facility design needs to support current and future technologies, which requires facilities to be more flexible than ever.
OVERALL DESIGN CONCEPTS
One of the most important things to focus on when designing a health club is the overall layout of the facility, which should have a unique and tangible design concept that will cater to the club’s desired market. First, the plan has to be developed, with a focus on the size and location of the different areas and the flow between them. “We consider the early development of the club to be critical to the long-term success of the club. Too many operators blow through the initial planning phase and hope to make a statement by adding interior design later, but this typically winds up being a wasteful strategy,” shares Fabiano.
It is also important that the facility have a logic to its layout that allows for an overall sense of the place upon entry. New visitors should feel a clear sense of direction when initially navigating the club, without drawing unwanted attention and feeling on display. “Considering the feelings of various users is a key consideration when designing a successful facility, and we do this by engaging the members and employees who use a facility in design workshops to understand their perspective,” says Smith.
AREAS OF INTEREST
According to Lavoie, clubs that deliver a memorable and user-friendly member experience will always be more likely to experience success. Important areas to consider when designing a health club include first visual impressions, parking, transitional elements like reception and locker rooms, as well as refreshment and social interaction areas. A designer should take the time to think through the ideal member experience from the club’s unique perspective before designing a facility. For example, no one enjoys a long hike from their car to the front door of the club, especially if the club is located in an area that often experiences inclement weather. Also, the entry and reception areas have enormous influence on pride of membership and, therefore, member retention and referrals. Try to be as generous as possible when allocating space for the welcoming area of a club. Creature comforts and uncrowded conditions in the locker rooms, cafes and workout areas are also key to long-term member satisfaction.
According to Smith, studio spaces can have very intense demands of building systems when it comes to ventilation, temperature ranges, lighting and power, since new programs are often introduced every few months. Les Mills encourages club owners to think in terms of creating a destination for both participants and instructors, which will ultimately drive traffic into the group fitness studio. Natural daylight, theatrical lighting in the evening, a good sound system, a stage for instructors and very few mirrors are all great ways to enhance the experience for everyone. It is also important to allocate enough space for members to be comfortable, and remember – the more people one instructor can comfortably teach, the better for your club’s profitability!
To maximize energy usage, club owners are investing in site-based energy systems such as propane to take advantage of cost savings afforded by local utility companies. Lighting is also gaining more attention since it is one of the largest uses of power in a facility. Designing to deliver the correct lighting levels, installing occupancy sensors and multi-ballasted fixtures to provide varying light levels, as well as increasing the use of daylight are all becoming commonplace. When upgrading a club to take advantage of one or more of these energy-saving options, keep in mind that the systems can ultimately pay for themselves.
Another important design element to consider when designing a health club is curb appeal. Clubs are essentially retail endeavors, and whether your club is pared down to the bare minimum or aspires to be more like a country club or spa than simply a place for members to work out, the art of designing to entice your market base is one key to success. “Many of our designs have exterior features that go beyond just creating an interesting, eye-catching image from the street by using the building itself to encourage participation. This can be done by allowing a transparency that puts the activities and excitement within on display to those outside. The quality of the materials used in construction and the quality of the design says a lot about the quality of programs to many members,” says Smith.
“Curb appeal is all about the entry, the first impression, the brand image that makes a member think of the club in the same way that they think of their own homes, the cars they drive and the suits they wear – it’s all part of their identity,” says Lavoie. A good entry has an indoor/outdoor transparency to it as well as an intimacy of scale, combined cleverly with a contrasting grandness of scale that retains warmth, resists commercialized interpretations and welcomes all. A good club entry also has some sort of weather-protected exterior vehicular landing for inclement weather, depending on the climate.
UPGRADING YOUR CLUB
If you choose a good design firm, the decision to upgrade should eventually help generate additional revenues to help pay for the cost of the services. Fabiano recommends first looking at programming to see where the most revenue is coming from as well as to determine the areas that are less profitable. When doing a redesign, focus on the areas that have the most opportunity in your club for increased revenue. It’s important to remember that club design is not about vanity, but about focused deployment of the resources available to you. For example, one of the fastest growing areas is personal training. Without a great area to sell, activate and deploy a strong personal training program, increasing your club’s personal training revenue is going to be difficult.
“We’ve seen a positive member response from small upgrades like painting to hide wear and tear, new colors or adding a new feature. People react when they see a positive change and view it as a sign of a strong business,” says Smith. According to Lavoie, another often-overlooked way that a club owner can improve an existing facility is through subtraction, which is the process of assessing opportunities for improving fit, function and flow by removing unnecessary walls, doors and even entire rooms for an increased sense of functionality and spaciousness.
THE COST FACTOR
The cost of design services can vary greatly depending upon the services provided, but a good rule of thumb is to estimate that you will spend around 10% of construction costs on design services. A full-service architecture firm is there to help monitor the construction, the contract and the costs. They should help differentiate between legitimate increases and items that were supposed to be included per the contract. Design services typically include both design and documentation for architecture, mechanical and electrical engineering, aquatics engineering, interior design and civil engineering if required.
People need to feel that the club is a special place, and the design and architecture exists to support and advance the business plan. If a club looks dirty or stale, it can reflect a stale business plan as well. Take an inventory of your club – how are your locker rooms, group fitness rooms and storage areas? Do they promote efficiency? Are they easy to keep clean? Are they appealing to the eye? All of these things will play into your overall profitability. When it comes to construction, most club owners have only one chance to do it right, so take the time to find the right professionals to help oversee the project and make sure your club is everything you imagined and more!
