The pandemic drove many of our members to exercise outdoors, for both health reasons and to rediscover the joys of being active outside. Clubs have been experimenting and meeting their members’ needs by beginning to bring the outdoors in, blurring the boundary between the inside of the facility and the nature it’s surrounded by.
But it’s time to take things a step further. There now is a real demand for organized fitness outside through club memberships for both pleasure and safety. The data says it’s a growing trend and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. In our thinking, the idea that fitness stops inside your four walls is an outdated, shortsighted and artificial boundary that will limit your growth.
Project Echo – Bringing Fitness Outdoors
Gainesville Health and Fitness Center is a great example of how Smart Operators are investing in this trend. GHFC CEO and fitness industry innovator, Joe Cirulli, approached me last year to help him bring to life a top-of-the-line Outdoor Fitness experience as the architect and designer for the project. We have had the benefit of working with Joe on all of his projects, and his vision always inspires our work.
This project is called “Echo,” mirroring the concept that this pavilon is a projection of the main club’s energy. The 6,000 sq/ft pavilion is nearly complete with the opening dedication slated for September 10th. But it isn’t just the vision itself of Echo that was lead with innovation. the team creatively sat the building on top of a 10,000 square-foot retention pond on campus- losing only a few coveted parking spots and adding an interesting, functional architectural feature.
Echo will be the largest outdoor training facility in Gainesville and its surrounding areas. It comes with a roof, outdoor fitness equipment, boot camps and group classes.
Innovation is Inevitable- You to Get Ahead of the Curve
There has been a fight or flight mentality for Operators as of late- innovate or get left behind. Obviously, Joe is an innovator and we are proud of our work to keep his vision moving.
If growth through innovation is in your roadmap, we at Fabiano Designs have 30 years of contemporary problem-solving experience. Our clients stay ahead of the curve and we’d be glad to provide you with insights on how we can bring your ideas to life.
