NetActive Fitness Center

Sunnyvale, Calif.
Construction Cost: $3.9 million
Area / Square Feet: 27,270
Occupancy Date: July 2009

NetApp is known for cultivating employee happiness, and the company’s investment in the NetActive Fitness Center is a reflection of that goal.

In the workout area, 11-foot-high ceilings create a feeling of openness. The cardio area offers 42 pieces of equipment, while a full-size gymnasium provides space for basketball, badminton and indoor volleyball. The facility also has three group exercise classrooms, accommodating as many as 34 classes per week. Two spa-like rooms for massage include waterfalls and dimmed lighting, and the south side of the center features a daylit 20-person conference room and a sports lounge.

Since NetActive is on the first floor of a new NetApp building, the design ensures egress through the exterior at a point that is not directly accessible from the office area. Additionally, significant structural modification was required to develop the gymnasium, which was constructed using the same materials as the rest of the office building. The exterior finishes are consistent with existing adjacent buildings, as glass captured in mullions and beige GFRC exterior walls blend the gym into the office structure. The decision to utilize space in a new office building was a cost-avoidance strategy, since the original design of a dedicated building for the fitness center was conservatively estimated in excess of $5 million.