Swimming is a great leisure and health activity. It is well-loved across the world and is great for leisure, fitness or just a one-off activity, alone or with friends. Growing numbers of people have begun swimming to combat health issues, especially older adults.
Your sports locker room or swimming pool changing room is a public area, frequented by lots of people daily. For this reason, many factors will need to be considered to make your changing room as effective and functional as possible. The experts at Arkinstall have seven swimming pool changing room design ideas for a functional sports locker room.
Layout
The layout is incredibly important for all sports locker rooms and changing spaces. The layout of your locker room should function so staff can easily monitor the space and users can find the exits and entrances easily and without walking too far. If you have a high amount of foot traffic, you will want all entrances and exits close together to ensure guests do not get lost or end up wandering around.
To ensure an effective layout, you will also want to maximise space for both storage and occupant space. Understanding your space to increase storage capacity is key when designing your swimming pool changing room. A great way to maximise storage space is bespoke lockers and benches. These not only provide effective storage but also have built-in seating, maximising the space and giving your guests much-needed amenities.
Changing Room Types
When choosing your locker room design, you will need to choose whether to have unisex or gendered changing facilities. Additionally, you can have a selection of changing facilities, including baby and family. These kinds of facilities are important for guests, and as such, there should be a selection of changing facilities to suit individual needs.
Swimming pool changing rooms should be private and have amenities such as bins, storage and changing tables. Wet area lockers are the best type of storage for swimming pool changing rooms, and Arkinstall supplies a unique range, ideal for this type of environment.
Shower Facilities
Usually, there should be at least one shower for every three or four swimming pool changing rooms. Having adequate shower facilities is important and contributes to the experience of your guests, as well as hygiene and general customer satisfaction regarding the facilities you have available.
Shower facilities should be located close to the changing rooms and should include a family/baby changing shower room, as well as separate male and female shower spaces. Shower cubicles can be bespoke to your space, with Arkinstall installing a wide range of options with our shower cubicle solutions.
Lighting
Lighting in changing facilities is highly important, especially in wet area changing rooms where slip hazards are prominent, making visibility a must. You’ll want bright lights that are not too harsh or unflattering. Changing facilities will have to be bright enough for people to see what they’re doing, but not too bright that things look too harsh or sterile.
Additionally, sensor lighting is often preferred in changing rooms as it saves on energy and is more hygienic.
Circulation
Circulation in changing facilities and sports locker rooms is vital. Poor airflow results in humidity, leaving the room smelling stale and, in some cases, affecting the facility’s longevity. In a swimming pool changing room, the humidity will already be high and therefore circulation and airflow should be considered to ensure the facility is hygienic and pleasant for guests.
Accessories and Amenities
Several accessories and amenities should be considered when planning the locker room design. For example, adding a towel hook near the shower may seem like a good idea, but in practicality, it means the towel may be splashed with water. Little accessories and amenities work toward user satisfaction and can contribute to your establishment’s overall brand.
Another good idea is to implement smart technology into your applications, such as sensor-activated taps and flushes which not only improve hygiene but also help save on energy and reduce wastewater.
Swimming Pool Changing Room Materials
When fitting and creating bespoke lockers and benches, the type of materials should be considered. You’ll need a material that can withstand humidity.
Additionally, lots of storage facilities are fitted with anti-bacterial sprays and coatings, which Arkinstall can happily provide, to ensure the facilities are combatted against viruses and other germs spread through humidity and footfall.
Do you Run a Swimming Pool or Leisure Centre?
You should read our changing room design guide. It’s made for leisure centre, gym and swimming pool operators looking to design and install new changing rooms. There’s even a checklist to make sure you’ve got everything right.
The team at Arkinstall are the professionals who have helped design and build changing room facilities for this sector, helping to transform changing room environments for the better. Get in touch with us today to discuss how we can help.
