Studio Sport & Fitness

The mind, the body, the spirit… all must be exercised to achieve ultimate well being!

The equal proportioning of time allotted to the mind, the body and the spirit has never been more important.  Activity and competition with oneself improves all three.  In today’s fast pace world, an exponential increase in data has compounded demands on the individual, leaving them struggling to keep up.  In order to filter the unnecessary clutter, a return to basics is needed. Endorphins anyone?

At Architecture Inc. we have had the benefit of working on a variety of health, spa, wellness and fitness projects.  We have seen the concept of the fitness club evolve from a simple pursuit of the few to more of an expected aspect of life for the majority.  Much of that shift can be credited to growing awareness of the benefits of fitness, and those oh-so-enjoyable endorphins!  However, much of what makes a health club stand-out in this increasingly competitive industry is the design quality of the club itself.

Today’s health club members are savvy consumers, able to acknowledge that Architecture and design have an impact on the member’s willingness to join and participate. Health clubs should inspire and reflect the active and vibrant nature of the members who frequent them.  Space planning must be efficient to eliminate lines and the equipment, and the feelings of welcome and belonging must be extended. A sense of comfort and a value must be provided. Time spent must be fulfilling for the member and staff.

We understand the complexities of delivering fitness opportunities to the public; the competition for market share, the fickle and often seasonal focus of the members as well as the cost and space associated with the variety of activities. We understand the business plan and the volumes associated with the bottom line. We have the experience to help you achieve your goals.

 

 

Kettler Capitals Training Center
Arlington, Virginia

Architecture, Inc. provided the design of this new 145,000 square foot facility that is a public/private sector joint venture project to be built on top of an existing 7–story parking garage in Arlington. The project includes 2 full size NHL ice rinks, a 20,000 square foot training center and 28,000 square foot of corporate office spaces. Arlington County and the Washington Capitals are committed to developing an energy–efficient and environmentally–friendly facility that will serve as a model for future projects developed in Arlington County and beyond. The facility was designed to achieve a LEED™ 2.0 certification standard as developed by U.S. Green Building Council. The rinks opened in late 2006 and the Capitals have been occupying the facility since early 2007. This project received the 2007 NAIOP (National Association of Industrial and Office Properties) Award of Excellence for Best Building Build to Suit over 150,000 square feet.

 

Sport and Health Clubs
26 Clubs in Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland

A health and fitness club should be more than just a place to work off that extra piece of cake you regret having eaten.  A health and fitness club should re-energize the spirit.  It should provide opportunity for social interaction without requiring it.   It should be a vehicle to relieve stress, not compound it.   That is the philosophy Architecture Inc. has adopted in the development of health, fitness and spa projects for our clients.

Sport & Health is a regional chain of health clubs that is headquartered in Vienna, Virginia.  Our experience with Sport & Health began in the year 2000 with a renovation / expansion of their flagship club at the Rio Entertainment Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  The success of that project initiated a professional relationship spanning the renovation of almost all of Sport & Health’s many locations.  In that time we have developed projects ranging in complexity from fitness center update and renewals to complex multi-mullion dollar whole facility renovations and expansions.

 An almost constant challenge we take pride in overcoming is the complex phasing needs represented by each renovation project in an occupied club.  Our efforts ensure the membership is able to utilize the facility seamlessly while improvements are under way.  We understand the complexities of the health club environment.  We understand the dynamic of the design environment today’s club members require.  The design impacts the individual’s willingness to join and participate.

We have designed over one million square feet of spa and fitness facilities in a variety of settings. We understand the materials and details needed to withstand the constant use and the variety of programs provided. We understand the mechanical systems and lighting that go unnoticed. We know the people, we know the product.

World Gym
Gainesville, Virginia

Architecture Inc. provided full architectural services for the first full service health club to be located in Gainesville Virginia.  That club was World Gym of Gainesville and is a franchise of the World Gym International.  This gym was designed to provide the full range of fitness and exercise equipment and facilities demanded by today’s membership.  The organization and interior architecture of the club provide a user friendly, motivating and energizing environment.

The 15,300 square foot facility features an energetic fitness center that captures curb appeal and natural light from a full width glass storefront.  The front desk serves its expected duty as the membership check-in but reduces the required number of full time employees by also serving as the point of sale for the pro-shop and a juice bar.  The club also features a bright, colorful Child Care / Nursery, spacious locker rooms, tanning rooms, sales offices and a dedicated Spin Studio.

Interior design of a gym is as important as the exercise equipment to be installed within it.  Durable materials must be selected without compromising the aesthetic value of a warm, inviting space.  The finish package assembled by Architecture Inc. for this project marks another successful project.  The resulting space is contemporary, bright and motivating for the members and staff while also preserving low maintenance requirements and aesthetic longevity.

City Hospital Wellness Center
Martinsburg, West Virginia

Martinsburg, West Virginia is the home of City Hospital where Architecture Inc was provided the opportunity to develop a wellness center on hospital grounds that replicated the look, feel and character of an independent Health Club.  The leadership at City Hospital envisioned a facility that would serve the rehabilitation needs of its long term patients while not just helping them recover, but helping them remain young at heart.  This facility was to provide a place where grandfathers, parents and grandkids could all feel welcome… ‘Hospital Blue’ was out of the question.

 With our extensive experience renovating and expanding the portfolio of clubs operated by the Sport&Health Corporation combined with having designed over 20 rehab hospitals and wellness centers for Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Fauquier Hospital; we got right to work designing the 10,910 square foot facility.

 The result of the effort is a bright and vibrant facility that pushes the boundaries for a traditional wellness center.  Amenities include a large, bright fitness center with skylights and perimeter glazing, a large group exercise studio, hydrotherapy, cardiac rehab and a daycare.  The work-out experience at this facility is much like that one would expect at any high end health club, and has proven very successful for the Hospital.

Inova Sportsplex
Alexandria, Virginia

Physical Therapy for athletic injury rehabilitation is a niche in the field of Physical Therapy, but when the Inova Health System decided they wanted to get into this business, they wanted a space that reflected the ambition of their vision along with the energy embodied by the clientele.

Though Inova’s Sports Medicine program required only a modestly size space, Architecture Inc. designed the 2,700 square foot tenant space to act bigger than it is.  Bold features like a striking backlit bulkhead across the lobby and into the therapy space, recessed linear lighting, vivid colors (including blue and red ceilings) and an all glass entry from the corridor are features that enable this space to serve as the example for others to follow.

Florida Gulf Coast University
Athletic Building - Fort Myers, Florida

This new institutional building, set among the athletic fields at Florida Gulf Coast University, provides multiple services to the Athletic Department, student athletes, and the university as a whole.  It contains locker rooms, offices, and a concession area on the ground floor while utilizing the second floor for offices, a student resources lab, and a multi-purpose room overlooking the baseball field. 
The building’s orientation, exterior concrete panels, and fenestration directly reflect the varying characteristics of the interior functions.  The exterior materials utilized are as much a part of aesthetics as they are a solution to the unique requirements presented by the building’s adjacent uses.  Site planning and design address the long term vision and preparation inherent to institutional design and master planning. 
In addition, research and coordination with consultants, the contractor, and the university is being conducted in an attempt to certify the building according to the requirements of the Florida Green Building Coalition.