Special Report: Design
The way your facility looks and makes people feel when they walk inside can be instrumental in converting visitors to members and in keeping the members you have. You typically don’t have an opportunity to make a second impression, so architects will tell you to make the most of your first visual impression.
But in a recession, getting capital to make renovations to your facility can be difficult. The money you do possess needs to be spent wisely. The following stories can help you make wise decisions in how to make renovations without spending more than you need to.
Design Trends for Large and Small Budgets
Sometimes, you have to spend some money to bring in more money. That’s certainly the case with health club design, according to industry architects who recommend that club operators renovate their facilities every three years. Renovations may seem impossible as the economy continues to struggle and as capital continues to be difficult to secure, but renovations can help a club compete with the new club down the street, keep members from jumping clubs and bring in a whole new group of members....
Unique Health Club Designs
Imagine a club where members can watch a Major League Baseball game from their group cycling class or enjoy a spectacular downtown view during yoga class. These possibilities are reality at Fit Athletic Club-San Diego, a high-end club that is specially tailored to its professional, urban clientele. The luxury club is housed in the city's Diamond View Tower, which overlooks center field at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres....
Luxury Locker Rooms, Open Spaces among Design Elements in Clubs
Interior design trends may be less fluid than fashion trends, which change with each season, but that doesn't mean club owners can stick with a 20-year-old...
Renovation Can Save Energy Costs for Fitness Clubs
Remodeling is usually a time when club owners think about spending money, but for some fitness facility operators, renovations are a time to consider...
Unique Fitness Settings
We recently scoured the country for five of the most unique fitness facilities we could find, and we think we found a good selection. What makes them...
New Health Clubs Designed in Old Buildings
Business owners are now looking for ways to cut costs and conserve resources. By following an up-and-coming trend called adaptive reuse, owners can breathe new life into an existing building and circumvent much of the expense and the challenges of new construction....
Current Colors
A member at Gus Orlando's Gold's Gym in East Northport, Long Island, NY, walked up to the owner of the club and had a question not often asked in a fitness...
Pilates’ Popularity Leads to Club Renovations
More club owners are making room for Pilates in their facilities as the programming becomes more popular. ...
Locker Room DesignExpress Club Trend Has Mixed Effect on Locker RoomsOVERLAND PARK, KS The explosion of express clubs in the United States has become a double-edged sword for manufacturers who make products for locker rooms.... Health Club Members Want More Privacy in Locker RoomsIn the early 1980s, America was in a recession, Jane Fonda was the reigning fitness guru, few people owned cell phones and the health club industry was... Two Locker Rooms Are No Longer Enough at Many Health ClubsWhen the Southtowns Family YMCA was built five years ago in the family-oriented Buffalo suburb of West Seneca, NY, organizers anticipated a huge influx... |
FlooringClub Flooring Choices Can Affect Indoor Air QualityOVERLAND PARK, KS Although environmental awareness is rising among fitness facility operators, many of them remain unaware that flooring choices can affect... Room to RoomChoosing the right flooring can be a tricky decision for fitness facility owners and managers. From the locker room to the cardio floor to the smoothie... Flooring Options Abound for Fitness Club OwnersWhen Ed Steele received a letter from his utility company notifying him of a 38 percent hike in electricity prices, he was glad he had already found one... |
Smart Design ColumnsDesign for the Benefit of Members, Not Simply for Club AestheticsIn today's world of health care architecture, the buzz is all about evidence-based design (EBD). This is a design approach that employs the scientific... Smart Club Owners Are Proactive, Not Reactive, with RenovationsClub operators often find themselves asking whether or not it's time to renovate. The answer seems like it would be obvious. Sure, if you have not renovated... Diverse Health Club Types Require Variety in Fitness Facility DesignTo meet the industry's core mission of expanding its membership base and getting more people active and healthy, club owners are putting fitness back... Building and Renovating in a Tough Economy Can Still Be a Smart MoveTightening credit markets have made it difficult to finance new club construction and renovations. Indications are that we may get some relief this year,... |
Step by Step DesignMore From Our AdvertisersNew Flooring Can Quickly and Inexpensively Update a ClubIn these challenging economic times, many club owners are changing their minds about expanding or are deferring planned expansions. Instead, they are upgrading their existing facilities. That’s a smart idea, since renovations cost considerably less and can improve a club’s appearance with less costly downtime. ... Is Having a Great Locker Room Enough?The locker room used to be a place where patrons changed clothes before exercising; however, just as overall design of fitness clubs has evolved over the years, the locker room itself has become an integral part of the overall fitness club experience. ... |
