The modern centre, whether it is a pool, a fitness centre or an indoor sports complex must address the needs of the user and the Operator.
The integration of technology allows the entry gates to be operated from reception and the entries to be recorded and for users to access facilities by swiping or scanning cards or ‘fobs’.
RMP assists clients to work through issues associated with entry and exit to design reception counters and foyers that work and to help the client, and the architect in many cases, understand the issues that start in the car park and end in the pool or studio.
In the case of pools, the current trend is for parents to arrive with a “pusher” which has everything in it but it doesn’t go through a turnstile and older centres have nowhere for the pusher to be stored when the ‘owner’ is in the water or in a class.
Designing access routes, areas for storage and understanding the need for good, clear signage, excellent lighting, covered walkways and proximity of parking to the entrance are all areas RMP can assist with.
In addition, some of our recent projects have highlighted the loss of revenue that is occurring through inadequate entry control and in other cases, poorly designed entries have resulted in significant loss of patronage because users can’t get service easily, find it too difficult to access the change rooms or pool or find they can’t take the ‘pusher’ as there is nowhere for it when they arrive.