Cool Hunting

Advertorial content:

Equinox Fitness Clubs takes the design of their clubs very seriously—as of course we think they should. We sat down with Aaron Richter, AIA, the VP of Design, who told us a bit about what he and his team think about every day to make the clubs look good, stay fresh and wear well.

Many gyms want to have as many members as possible and hope that most of those people don't show up. Equinox Fitness Clubs takes a much different approach. They think about it as your "home away from home." They understand that you can't force yourself to go the gym; you have to want to go there, to exercise there, to eat there, to spa there and to shop there.

That's what Aaron and his team think about all day long. Is this the right location? The right space? How do you feel when you walk by or walk in? Is the layout intuitive? Most importantly they are thinking about what it's like for people to use the clubs, and what it's like for the people who work there to support and maintain them. Most companies probably wouldn't invite the maintenance staff to design meetings, but Equinox understands it's not just about how things look—it's about how they perform and how they wear over time.

There are two initiatives Aaron and his team are working on that we think are particularly exciting. The first is thinking about the role digital technology plays in the physical space. The second is thinking green (including air dryers, waterless toilets and sustainable building materials), looking at ways to reduce water and energy consumption, or even ways to create energy from the the many treadmills, bikes and jumping that goes on every day.

What better way to experience Equinox's great design than with a no cost, no obligation three day pass.