Locker Room: Page 15

New-Generation Storage Technologies Reshape the Equipment Room

New generation storage technologies are facilitating access to -- and even movement of -- hard and soft goods in the equipment room.

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Beyond the Game: Lighting Trends Elevating the Sports Experience

Musco Sports Lighting

Join Musco and William Penn University for a discussion on the trends shaping sports venue lighting and the growing role of entertainment in creating memorable experiences for athletes, fans, and communities.

Beyond the Game: Lighting Trends Elevating the Sports Experience

Simple Upgrades Transform Locker Rooms

When outfitting a locker room, a few simple upgrades can enhance functionality and aesthetics.

Locker Room Design Details

With the right planning, locker rooms can shine.Before you start picking out paint colors and light fixtures, visit other fitness centers in your area and around the country, if possible. Let the manager know who you are and why you want to tour the facility. Take a notebook with you, and write down what you like and what you don't about all aspects of the locker rooms. Pay attention to the size, layout and flow of the space. Are there any unusual amenities? Do you like the color scheme? Don't limit yourself to fitness centers that are similar to yours; visit hospitals, rehabilitative facilities, public recreation centers, universities and other places likely to have a locker room. You never know where you may find a creative new idea to use in your own fitness center.Think hard about the people who will use your facility. A locker room must be designed with these people in mind. Do you have children's programs? Will the fitness center be busy mainly in the morning, or all day? Will the early morning crowd need to change into pressed suits? Do you have special classes or programs for aquatics, sports or older adults? Then you may need to consider things like special flooring, swimsuit dryers, extra hand rails and wheelchair accessible showers. Think of every person who will use your fitness center, and what their locker room needs will be. Make sure you provide enough room to accommodate a busy morning rush hour, and give each person a degree of personal space and privacy.Find a reputable architect and/or interior designer to help you design your locker rooms. Don't just rely on the phone book; get referrals from businesses in your area. If there's an interior you really enjoy, ask the manager what firm was involved. Designers often work on spaces in distant areas, so you may be able to have them consult on your project even if they don't have an office nearby. Discuss your likes and dislikes with the designer, as well as results from your focus group discussions.What goes into a great locker room design? According to Doug Driscoll, project manager and designer with Seibert Architects P.A., Sarasota, Fla., the first consideration is comfort. "A comfortable setting is one that pays attention to materials," Driscoll says. "How you use metals, wood, fabrics, floor finishes and the like can set people at ease or add to their stress level." If you live in a warm climate, for example, the right materials can make members feel cooler. Also, the materials and colors used in the locker rooms should flow into the rest of your fitness center. You don't want a visual shock when walking from one room to another. At Seibert-designed Evolution Health and Fitness in Florida, Driscoll used an abundance of wood throughout the fitness center to give an intimate feeling. The facility also has wood lockers, which are quieter and more inviting than metal ones.Don't be afraid to be innovative and environmentally friendly with your design. Everything from ceiling tiles to wallpaper to carpet glue can be bought as non-toxic, or "green." Evolution Health and Fitness incorporates an air purification system throughout the facility. It also uses a water filtration system to remove any municipal additives. You may wish to consult an energy conservation specialist to learn ways you can save money, and the environment at the same time, by using things like low-flow toilets, motion sensors that detect when lights are unnecessary, and energy-efficient HVAC systems. Don't forget to put these into your marketing materials. Many potential members will consider this attention to the environment a major selling point.When it comes to member security, you can't be too careful. Members expect their safety and the security of their belongings to be a priority in your facility. While there are many watchful eyes on coats and bags that may be in the fitness rooms, locker rooms offer unattended belongings on which thieves may prey.

Changing Areas

Turning locker rooms from dull ancillary spaces into revenue-generators involves employing strategies that require as much common sense as they do imagination.

The Rothwell Club at the University of Missouri Student Recreation Complex

Family Planning

While several basic elements of family locker room design remain standard, communities are increasingly demanding something other than a cookie-cutter approach

Locked and Loaded

With Player Comfort and Team Cohesion In Mind, Locker Rooms Within Professional and Major College Athletic Venues are Designed to Serve as Well-Appointed Homes Away From Home

Bad Combination

Heavy use, moisture - and especially vandals - can frustrate facility owners hoping to get high performance out of their lockers

Careful Attention to Locker Rooms Enhances Facility's Image (and Odor)

Careful Attention to Design and Maintenance of Locker Rooms Can Greatly Enhance A Facility's Image - And Contain Its Odor

Special-Needs Changing Rooms Expand

Special-Needs Changing Rooms Have Expanded to Give a Little Bit of Privacy to a Lot of Different People

School Locker Rooms Built Before the Women's Sports Boom Warrant Reexamination

School locker rooms built before the women's sports boom warrant reexamination and, quite likely, renovation to comply with Title IX standards.

Designing Attractive, Functional Laundry Spaces

It's a dirty business, but someone has to design laundries that are as attractive and functional as other program spaces.

Team Needs

As locker rooms for team sports grow ever larger to encompass a wide assortment of functions, adjacencies of space becomes a significant planning issue

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AB Show 2026 in Orlando

AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.

Nov. 17-19, 2026