When the community recreation center in Jackson, Wyo., undertook an addition with climbing as its centerpiece, the wall didn’t get tucked into a back corner and declared done. Instead, it became the generator. The design inspiration, materials and shape of the exterior cladding and new entry lobby all took cues from the climbing activity inside. The wall manufacturer was brought into the design conversation early enough to influence choices, and the result is a facility that feels like it was built for a purpose, because it was.
That kind of intentionality is increasingly what separates successful specialty fitness spaces from expensive mistakes. Climbing walls, group cycling studios and functional fitness areas have matured past the point where a facility can treat them as program additions. They are spatial commitments, and the facilities that recognize that upfront are getting a lot more out of these spaces than those that don’t.
“There’s a growing misconception that emerging programs can be accommodated with flexible, multipurpose space,” says Arash Izadi, principal sports leader at DLR Group. “On paper, that sounds efficient. In reality, it often leads to underperforming rooms filled with expensive equipment that rarely gets used to its full potential.”
Izadi has a framework he uses to push back on the everything-room impulse. “Not all programs are equal,” he says, “and the first job of a planner or architect is to figure out which ones actually demand dedicated real estate, and which ones can legitimately share.”
The climbing problem
Of the three specialty spaces previously mentioned, climbing makes the strongest case for its own, carefully considered space. The list of requirements is long and largely non-negotiable: significant vertical clearance, defined fall zones, specialized surfacing, dedicated staging areas for belaying and instruction, equipment storage and checkout, and clear sight lines for supervision. None of those things play well with a neighbor.
What’s often underestimated, though, isn’t the wall itself. It’s everything behind and around it.
“Most climbing gyms lack adequate spaces for storage and getting behind the wall for maintenance, yet those spaces are used all the time,” says Cole Robertson, a project manager at Perkins&Will. “The spaces are literally not made for occupancy, so there is a disconnect there, and real safety concerns. Understanding the size and quantity of the equipment that might go behind the wall is important, or designating extra space elsewhere is necessary.”
Robertson’s point is easy to miss if you’re focused on the wall face. Hold-washing rooms, gear storage, ladders, tool and circulation walkways wide enough for large carts — or even a boom lift — are all part of the operational reality of running a climbing program. “Setters have gotten used to these conditions just being the way it is,” he says, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t strive for better.”
The structural and mechanical demands compound from there. Load calculations for climbing walls account for both the dead load of the structure and the live loads of climbers — and in retrofit situations, existing buildings often need reinforcement to handle that weight. New construction typically includes a recessed slab to accommodate fall-protection flooring that can run 12 inches deep. In a retrofit, that becomes a significant complication.
HVAC deserves ample consideration in these spaces. Climbing gyms are rife with chalk, and chalk is not gentle on air systems. The general target for adequate ventilation is four to eight air changes per hour with high-efficiency filtration — MERV-13 or better. Supplemental air-cleaning units sometimes called “chalk eaters” can work in tandem with the primary HVAC system, but they need to be planned for, not bolted on after the fact.
Then there’s the fire sprinkler system. Robertson flags this as a risk that tends to surface late in projects. “The fire sprinkler system is often a delegated design service,” he says. “Make sure there is early understanding — pre-bid or pre-construction — of wall shapes through this level of design that may affect appropriate fire protection coverage. If the fire marshal does not accept the layout after it is installed, time and financial impacts will be incurred.”
One last structural wrinkle: some climbing wall components — spires in particular — are large enough that they’re best installed before the building is enclosed, through the roof or curtain wall opening. Attempting to top a wall after the envelope is sealed is, at minimum, an expensive problem.
Despite all of this complexity, Izadi argues that where a climbing wall sits in a facility is as strategic as how it’s built. Locating a wall near entries or along primary circulation increases visibility, creates energy and turns the space into a recruitment tool. “The most successful facilities treat climbing as both a program and an architectural feature,” he says. “When aligned with front desk operations, storage and staffing zones, climbing becomes both operationally efficient and a powerful draw.”
Photo courtesy of Perkins&Will
The cycling studio trap
Group cycling sits in trickier territory. These spaces have specific demands — controlled lighting, enhanced acoustics, elevated ventilation, durable flooring and tight spatial planning (typically 15 to 18 square feet per bike). But those needs overlap enough with other studio-based programs that facilities are often tempted to treat it as a dual-use room. That can work, but only if the tradeoffs are designed for deliberately.
The question facilities most often fail to ask early enough is a simple one: where do the bikes go?
“Bikes don’t disappear,” Izadi notes. “Poorly planned storage quickly becomes a visual and logistical burden.” In a purpose-built studio, that’s a solved problem. In a shared space, it becomes a daily negotiation between competing programs, and the solution tends to be bikes lined up against a wall in a room that no longer feels like either a cycling studio or a yoga space.
Robertson echoes the point from a different angle. Acoustics in a cycling studio — particularly one retrofitted into an existing facility — are rarely a design priority until they become a complaint. Proper soundproofing based on Sound Transmission Class ratings prevents noise from bleeding into neighboring spaces, but achieving that in an existing building is harder and more expensive than in new construction. “Special detailing is required to meet sound-dampening ratings,” Robertson says. “Often the result is a best-case solution rather than an ideal one.”
The HVAC load in a packed cycling class is also routinely underestimated. Heat and humidity output per person during a high-intensity session is significant, and a ventilation system designed for a general fitness room is not the same thing as one designed for 40 cyclists going hard for 45 minutes. Getting that calculation wrong leads to uncomfortable conditions that users notice immediately, which can and does lead to increased attrition.
One thing that Robertson has found to be successful when designing cycling space is what he describes as a “front porch” concept, which includes a clear transition area — cubbies, benches, a waiting space — directly adjacent to the studio that allows members to connect before and after class. “Cycling studios and boutique-style offerings are most successful when built around a community approach to the space, culture and members,” he says. “Instructors can engage with each athlete, supporting the connected feeling these offerings tap into.”
Flexibility isn’t free
Of the three formats, functional fitness comes closest to the idea of a flexible space, and that’s exactly what makes it easy to underplan.
“The key is that flexibility isn’t achieved by removing constraints,” Izadi says. “It’s achieved by designing for multiple future conditions.” An open room with rubber flooring is a starting point, not a destination. The most durable functional fitness spaces are built with infrastructure baked in: reinforced walls for mounted systems, overhead structure for suspension and rigging, flooring designed to handle dropped weights and additional forms of repeated impact, as well as acoustic separation from neighboring spaces to absorb the vibration that comes with that impact.
Flooring strategy matters more than it might seem. Layered or zoned systems — turf, rubber and wood in different areas — serve different activities while allowing individual surfaces to be replaced without a full-room renovation. Recessed systems, on the other hand, tend to limit future flexibility rather than support it.
Robertson advocates for simple design moves that allow flexibility over time. Plywood backing in walls, exposed structural and mechanical systems that can be adapted without major work, and lighting controls that allow a room to shift character are investments that pay off when the fitness industry changes. “Creating a fun, energetic space needs to be balanced with ultimate flexibility,” says Robertson. “It takes real constraint and foresight to balance that in the design.”
Izadi adds a category he calls “found space” — the pockets between primary programs that most facilities leave undefined. Under stairs, along elevated tracks, at the edges of courts and circulation zones, in outdoor courtyards. These aren’t leftover areas, he argues, but rather opportunities for a different kind of inclusion. “Not every user wants to be in the center of activity. Many are new to fitness, managing body image concerns, or just looking for quieter, less visible environments. By intentionally designing these spaces for small-scale activity, stretching or individual workouts, facilities expand access to users who might otherwise disengage.”
Making the case
The good news for facility directors trying to justify these investments internally is that the business case has gotten easier to make. Utilization data, revenue modeling and ROI analysis are more accessible than they were even five years ago.
“There is generally more data available in digestible formats than ever before regarding ROI on decisions and improvements,” Robertson says. “Advanced metric firms are creating entry-level analysis tools that allow for informed decisions on market and growth in and around recreation and mixed-use facilities.”
But data can only support decisions that are already well-framed — and the framing question for specialty spaces is the same one Izadi keeps returning to: which programs deserve space designed specifically for them?
The answer isn’t always yes for every format. But for climbing, group cycling and functional fitness, there’s evidence that getting the space right is the difference between a program that drives membership and one that drains maintenance budgets. The facilities learning that lesson early are the ones building spaces that still make sense a decade from now.
“Trying to make every space do everything often leads to spaces that do nothing particularly well,” Izadi says. “Space is a strategic investment tied directly to programming outcomes.”
What’s required?
Planning a climbing wall, cycling studio or functional fitness space? The details that surprise owners most are usually technical. Here’s what the spec sheet needs to account for:
Climbing
• Ventilation: Four to eight air changes per hour. MERV-13 filtration minimum to manage chalk particulate. Supplemental air-cleaning units (sometimes called “chalk eaters”) can work in tandem with primary HVAC.
• Flooring: New construction typically requires a recessed slab 12 inches deep to accommodate fall-protection surfacing. Budget for this early, as it’s difficult and costly to retrofit.
• Behind-the-wall: Plan for occupiable maintenance space with circulation wide enough for large equipment carts. Hold-washing rooms and dedicated gear storage are operational necessities, not afterthoughts.
• Fire suppression: Engage the fire marshal early. Complex wall shapes can create sprinkler coverage problems that are expensive to fix after installation.
• Large components: Spires and oversized structural elements may need to be installed before the building is enclosed. Confirm sequencing with the wall manufacturer before construction begins.
Group Cycling
• Spatial planning: Allow 15 to 18 square feet per bike, plus a dedicated transition zone — cubbies, benches, waiting area — adjacent to the studio entrance.
• Bike storage: If the studio will be shared with other programs, plan adjacent high-access storage before finalizing the layout. Bikes parked against a wall are a program-killer.
• Acoustics: STC-rated wall assemblies and proper soundproofing are significantly harder to achieve in a retrofit than in new construction. Treat this as a structural conversation, not a finish decision.
• HVAC: Heat and humidity output in a full cycling class far exceeds a standard fitness room. Size the system for peak occupancy, not average use.
• Lighting: Full blackout capability is standard in boutique studios and increasingly expected in institutional settings. Plan electrical and shade systems early.
Functional Fitness
• Wall backing: Install plywood backing throughout for future-mounted systems, even if nothing is planned for day one.
• Overhead structure: Suspension and rigging loads require early coordination with the structural engineer. This is not a retrofit-friendly addition.
• Flooring: Zone the surface — turf, resilient flooring and wood serve different activities. Use replaceable systems without recessed transitions to preserve future flexibility.
• Acoustics/vibration: Dropped weights and high-impact movement transmit structurally. Acoustic separation from adjacent spaces should be a design requirement, not a mitigation measure.
