5 Things to Keep in Mind When Designing an Apartment Complex Gym
As rising supply costs and a competitive housing market bring ever-higher rents, designing and installing a dynamic, multi-use fitness center or gym is a surefire way to bring added value to your residential space—and attract new renters. Plus, for multifamily property and apartment managers, the right kind of amenity can have a huge impact on your bottom line.
If you’ve been considering adding an onsite gym or fitness center to your property, you’ve come to the right place.
1. Plan for your space
No two spaces are exactly the same, which is why you should customize your fitness center to take advantage of the floor plan, flow, and dimensions of your facility. The best way to design your fitness center is by first considering the space you have available. To begin, even if you’re not yet working with a professional, create a blueprint by taking measurements and drawing your floor plan out on paper. At ASF, we offer a blueprint service free of charge to help with the planning phase.
For example, if you’re working with minimal square footage, we recommend zoning off sections and dedicating space to specific uses while using multi-purpose equipment designed to save space. This includes equipment like Precor’s Vitality Series, which offer multiple workout movements over fewer machines and give your residents versatility within a smaller footprint.
As the space gets larger, then it becomes important to incorporate larger groupings of machines and equipment while still maintaining individual zones, adding space for functional fitness and warm up/recovery areas, and designating sections for group activities.
2. Use custom colors, designs, and floors
If keeping tenants happy and inspired to work out is your goal, we recommend incorporating custom colors, biophilic accents, plenty of natural light, and branding into your fitness center. There are a lot of different ways you can customize your fitness space, but here are some of our favorites:
On-brand colors and logos
When you think about your apartment complex or multifamily community, what comes to mind? If your community uses specific colors and branding, you can use those designs to customize your equipment further.
Inspirational messaging & desigN
Put a personal touch on your apartment or multifamily community’s gym with inspirational messaging and intentional design accents.
Athletic flooring
You can’t do squats and burpees on just any surface. Take your fitness center to the next level by installing exercise-specific acoustic flooring by Ecore. This flooring has a good grip, making it easier for specific exercises and movements and increasing safety in workouts. In addition, this type of flooring reduces noise and echoes and is more durable long-term.
3. Take advantage of technology
The future is now, it’s here, and it can be found in interactive fitness equipment like the Peloton Bike, Aviron Rower, or the Echelon Reflect.
Technology has shaped every part of the world we live in—especially when it comes to fitness. If you’re interested in taking your fitness center to the next level, we highly recommend incorporating fitness technology that will allow your exercisers to go above and beyond in their next workout.
Searching for a game-changing product to add to your commercial fitness space? Look no further than the Peloton Bike. Attracting a global fitness community through motivating classes and engaging fitness content, this Bike is sure to turn heads and keep exercisers coming back for more.
Those looking for a full body workout can use self-guided equipment like the Aviron Rower to row through scenic locations around the world. Looking for a way to make rowing more fun? Aviron has a wide selection of animated, arcade-inspired games that’ll keep you invigorated, and competitive, throughout your workout.
Want to take a class without, well, all the other people? Technology can take you there. The Echelon Reflect is a 52” Diagonal HD Touchscreen Display Mirror that lets you stream specialty fitness classes, both pre-recorded and on-demand. Hybrid yoga-pilates in the afternoon? Yes, please!
4. Provide a variety of options
Don’t let your exercisers get bored! Make sure you’re providing plenty of options for them to put together their ideal workout. To do that, incorporate different types of equipment to accommodate full-body and self-guided workouts.
For example, we recommend having at least a few different cardio and traditional strength options. Bikes, ellipticals, and treadmills are some great options that can be included even in smaller floor plans and fitness spaces. At ASF, we also provide Precor Cardio mix-and-match console options that allow you to further enhance your equipment with the entertainment and streaming apps residents love—giving you the power to create the ultimate fitness center for your community.
Another great option for smaller fitness centers is multi-use fitness frames and functional tools. By partnering with Escape Fitness, we’re able to outfit our gyms with innovative equipment that helps to save space and get a workout in. Providing your exercisers with easy-to-use tools allows them to truly customize their workout—meaning they’re more likely to become regulars at your fitness space.
5. Partner with a professional for the best results
A well-curated and thoughtfully designed fitness center will keep your residents satisfied—and inspired to work out. The most successful apartment fitness centers share some common characteristics: an in-depth planning and design stage, a wide variety of high-quality equipment, and a team of professionals guiding the process to make it go off without a hitch.
At ASF, we’re committed to being there for our customers every step of the way. Learn more about our process by reaching out to us.