FitLife Summertown didn’t know where to begin. Being situated in a retired bank the space was to throw up all sorts of challenges. From structural pillars to varying floor heights and ceilings, IndigoFitness were challenged to deign a luxury London style boutique. This needed to include all the essential premium quality equipment but within a space that would demand clever product integrations.

The whole foundation of the facility was fitted with a 30mm Enduratile performance floor allowing clients to drop weight wherever required, ensuring the facility was as multi-purpose as possible.

After flooring, the next step was to identify where and how we could place the free-weights area. The required spec was for 3 lifting platforms, racks, storage and dumbbells. The solution was to provide a custom built half rack & storage combination, finished with the company’s brand logo laser cut into the framework. One of the rack solutions was to have a functional leg attached to the side, this would allow people to use attachments without taking up a whole rack to do so. The other rack and storage solution would be back to back with a complete custom and bespoke dual pulley/lat-pull down integration which was designed to wrap around and between the structural pillars. The rack, storage, cable and lat-pull integration was key to making sure all elements would fit within the facility. Making sure there was enough floor space remaining for the members. A bespoke storage system was also installed in the warm-up area to provide members a space to stretch, move and prep.

Our RAZE strength benches and selectorised pieces were then added, finished in the company’s colours with the FITLIFE brand logo stitched into the upholstery, keeping the personalised theme throughout. IndigoFitness also supplied the cardio across both the HIIT area and cardio section, these included touchscreen fully integrated screens into the treadmills and the latest Concept2 & RAZE Renegade kit

The multi-functional upstairs studio saw IndigoFitness install Pavi Fitness Pro flooring in a light beige/sand to promote a natural feel. The studio is used for everything from Yoga through to Pilates & TRX classes, with some RAZE strength accessories also being housed here.

Indigo’s ability to provide custom & bespoke kit were vital to this project’s success, it was paramount that the dead-space and structural pillars were negated with clever product integrations.

Small Group Personal Training

With the small group PT space,  4 distinct training pods were designed, based around RAZE Shadow Series Half Racks with storage and stacks integrated. Incorporating numerous attachments allowed us to maximise flexible floor space to make programming and running of classes the most efficient it can be. The pods are installed on top of 30mm Enduratile which has integrated into it Move Well’s distinctive custom “MOVE” track design for a seamless floor finish. A central storage hub stores all additional equipment not stored on the pods and a Jacobs Ladder, Leg Press, Vertical Leg Curl, and Ham Glute Bench complete a well rounded offering for when individual PT sessions need to be run.

HIIT Cardio

In the HIIT Cardio group training area, orange fleck Paviflex flooring was chosen to complement Move Well’s brand identity. Concept 2 BikeErg’s and Renegade Airbikes were provided creating a separate dedicated class space away from the main gym floor.

Yoga Studio

The Yoga studio required a completely different look and feel to the rest of the gym, and the Paviflex marble Haya finish tiles were perfect for this. They help to create a high-end calming studio environment and a great space for Yoga.

Move Well Identity

Personalisation and attention to details are always central to any Move Well site. Indigo’s ability to match their exacting standards creates the premium look and feel they require for their members. Frameworks are clear lacquer, showing all the weld and colour imperfections, with purple accents, apart from on their single station equipment where an orange main frame brought some real colour to the space.

Custom laser cut Move Well logo plates are on all the racks and storage and a different custom logo is used for the upholstery colours. The custom Move track is the centre piece of the entire gym and leaves you in no doubt that you are in a Move Well gym.

The new GoPerform HQ encompasses everything you’d see at a top-level sports training ground with sports massage & physio rooms, recovery areas, catering facilities and of course an industry leading training space provided by Indigo Fitness.

The brief for the space was a complex one, it had to incorporate numerous training modalities to cater for the various athletes and sporting disciplines. It also had to maximise the space negating structural challenges such as pillars and utilities. Indigo Fitness sat with the client to understand their training methods, from here we were able to provide numerous concepts and ideas to begin designing this versatile training space.

The first and biggest consideration was the flooring. Dealing with athletes across multiple disciplines the flooring solutions provided each had to lend itself to one of their respective sports. An artificial 4G pitch was installed for the athletes who play on grass pitches, this was to mimic game scenarios and help in the return to play, it also allowed them to wear studded boots indoors further mimicking game situations. We also installed a performance floor in the weights area to protect the sub-floor but also to provide a solid under-foot for lifting, jumping etc. A Regupol sprint track was installed for track athletes to be able to train on in spikes again allowing them to rehab in scenarios as close to actual competition. Finally a turf track was installed for sled/prowler work and any plyometric requirements.

Next was the lifting area, it was decided from an early stage that the requirement would be for a minimum of 4 lifting stations but also that these stations would need to allow for numerous attachments for various rehab and strength training requirements. There was also a big demand for various consumable items such as med balls, slam balls and Bosu’s therefore storage would need to be a key consideration. With this in mind we opted for a completely bespoke rig, housing 6 lifting stations, storage which wrapped around the structural pillars to maximise floor space.

The facility was finished off with a range of Raze Strength and Conditioning products such as Bars, Bumpers, Kettlebells and Plyo boxes, all facilitating the training space and training requirements.

Our first challenge was the Combat studio where we were tasked to design a bespoke ceiling mounted bag Rail capable of handling ten heavy Punchbags that would also store outside of the round combat amphitheatre, then traverse on rolling trollies through the combat cage wall and into the Combat arena locking into position using two friction brakes on each bag for group training.

Indigo designers produced a formed aluminium I-Beam following the circumference of the space that then rolled in the opposite direction to allow Boxing bags to enter/exit the combat area, we returned the Rail around the radius of the building to store bags on the wall opposite the arena.

Bespoke Rail Mounting brackets were designed to both carry the Rail but also secure into the concrete ceiling above. All parts and fixing methods had to be agreed with structural engineers along the way.

Next task was the Combat wall and doors to the front of the area again these were required to follow the curve of the room. Working with our French partners, experts in the Combat sports sector bespoke padded cage walls were designed that included a 1.5m cage door and shorter access door to allow bags to move in and out. All elements were secured into floors and walls to withstand the training activity including Boxing, Kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

To finish the Combat zone we designed bespoke branded storage in two locations outside of the area to manage all equipment and accessories that were to be included.

The design brief from Third Space Fitness Director Rob Beale was clear.

Create me Power Racks and Half Racks with broad functionality, micro-adjustments and both attachments and accessories that store on the Rack systems that would complement a premium Third Space club environment and experience. To support a strong housekeeping policy and sense of order everything used on and around the Racks had to have a place. In addition we developed new connection and locking detail to touch-point components to deliver a premium engineered feel to members and PT’s when using the equipment.

A hugely important and often undervalued element of any lifting space are lifting platform centres that should be solid underfoot with just the right balance of traction providing confidence and a safe environment to any users. They need to be robust and Indigo has spent many years perfecting the design and construction. Our Graphix platform centres are full colour and sub-surface printed to ensure our customers brand cannot be damaged. The black platforms include a subtle “111” logo to the rear as the Third Space logo cannot be stood on.

For Third Space Moorgate the platform centres needed to be inserted into the multi-layer floor build-up so not to compromise acoustics but also to provide a solid lifting base.

A slim bespoke 6m functional training rig with integrated storage has been located towards the corner of the functional training area designed specifically to store an agreed small equipment mix and required functionality. No wall fixing could be achieved and we Floor fixed the Rig posts incorporating Spreader plates to stabilise the Rig system.

Indigo designed heavily engineered storage solutions for the Moorgate HIIT studio to manage the significant load of over 3,000kg of small equipment including Rubber Hex Dumbbells vertically hung on the storage modules. Space allocation was intense and a significant amount of equipment had to be stored in difficult spaces navigating the complex building architecture and services.

As Third space operate in prime locations in the capital significant steps are taken during club design to manage the risk of noise and vibration transfer to neighbouring properties.

Indigo’s expertise supported this process with equipment weight spreader plates designed for Third Space exclusively to distribute the load from equipment placed on or fixed into the Gym floor build-up, a complex combination of acoustic materials and sub-floor all designed to mitigate noise. Plates are positioned on top of the finished rubber floor that bridge Tile seams and allow equipment to be through fixed into the constructed concrete slab some 90mm below the surface.

Of the Indigo installation teams three crews of four skilled installers worked on the Moorgate fitout. All our teams have vast experience in construction trades as well as Floor types and safe installation including construction fixing, surveying and testing to bring absolute confidence to the customers we work with.

Worthy mention:
Part of the Indigo solution included solving the problem of other suppliers equipment that would not be stable on the complex acoustic floor build-up. This included assessing equipment to determine the best stabilisation and fixing methods for three other equipment brands installed in the Training zones.

No supplier should attempt to be bigger than their customers brand and for Indigo carrying across the Third Space identity was a critical part of the equipment design evolutions.

Third Space required subtle yet consistent branding using their three roman numeral identity. We wanted to deliver quality and so stainless steel branding plates were added to equipment J-Hooks, Safety Spot Arms, frame connecting plates, Load Spreader plates onto our Graphix Lifting platform centres and for strategic bespoke fixing/securing frameworks.

Working in a complex and challenging central London location within a tightly controlled construction programme timeframe Indigo were able to seamlessly integrate with other contractors working collaboratively to deliver the right result at the right time for our client Third Space and we thank them for the confidence they have shown in Indigofitness to deliver on all levels.

Ross Manester Indigo’s Southern area territory manager was responsible for coordination between Third Space and Indigo throughout the project with Paul Lipscombe Installations manager overseeing the fitout works.

The large S&C Shelter facilities Indigo create deliver an open, uncluttered Training space 20m wide x 30m length and can be scaled up and down as required allowing PT Staff to effectively and safely control the Training environment for large numbers of soldiers at the same time.

The facilities are designed to support existing Army Assessment, training and testing policies including the SCR (Soldier Conditioning Review) APTS (Army Physical Training System) and RFT’s (Role Fitness Tests).

Under the canopy is a complex build-up of materials finished with duraTRAIN Flooring, our high impact and robust training surface designed for repeated outdoor use and not affected by temperature or UV Light. Each open end of the structure is closed with three trackway mounted powered net doors, independently operated designed to allow air flow but protect against the elements which may be completely drawn back in fine weather conditions creating an all-weather inside out protected and safe training environment. Facilities are mains powered with energy efficient LED Lighting and Infra-red heating all controlled with passive movement detectors. Natural light is maximized with the addition of translucent roof lights across a quarter of the canopy.

The Indigo designed exo-skeleton structures fix to the ISO Containers that allow for a significant array of Rigs, Racks and attachments to be configured. Accessories and equipment are stored on dedicated storage modules located within the insulated and ventilated ISO Containers that also include PIR Controlled lighting.

The unique steel roof canopies are loading bearing, that is they can be loaded with functions and equipment offering significantly greater flexibility and capacity than lightweight tensile fabric type structures.

To the exterior we have installed an all-weather artificial turf surface allowing the Army to conduct tests known as the Repeated lift and carry, Casualty drag and Fire and maneuver. The turf is distance marked to support the testing programme but also to deliver a complete and effective strength and conditioning space to reflect good practice and create an optimal, safe and predictable environment all year round.

Wrapped up within the contract price is a 10 year inclusive warranty package.

The S&C shelter facilities can be positioned on most surfaces. Indigo has clearly defined processes to establish the viability of a proposed location thorough site survey where our team captures levels, ground conditions and drainage, power availability and capacity as well as the potential size of facility that could be installed.

Under Bethnal Green’s railway, the second StrongHer gym facility is also situated in a converted railway arch space. The tunnel like space had to be planned and designed carefully. Working with co-owners Sam & Tig, Indigo discussed every aspect of the gym, from the equipment through to the training philosophy and everything in between. Indigo came back with a hybrid, functional fitness/traditional gym design which included a mix of station strength and functional fitness equipment, finished with an array of traditional HIIT and Cardio options.

The pin & plate loaded pieces were chosen in line with the members requests and now give Strongher a new arsenal of training stimulus.  A lot of the other work had to be bespoke due to the nature of the arched roof. The cable & dumbbell integration had to be made bespoke by lowering the height of the cable machine and offsetting the DB rack to fit along the adjacent wall. The functional rig was custom made to fit the back wall of the facility with the high-bar section fitting inch perfect, spanning the arching ceiling, whilst the storage fitted inch perfect to the exterior walls.  

All of the pin and plate loaded kit was upholstered with the brands logo stitched in, whilst the brand name and logo were laser cut into the frame of the bespoke rig. The storage on the rig was designed not only to hug the exterior walls but to also house all the consumable items which would be used in the space.

With the gym being on the first floor, there was a flooring requirement to reduce the sound and vibrations travelling to neighbouring rooms and offices. 51mm Duratrain flooring is a perfect solution for upper level training spaces where weights will be dropped on the floors. The premium flooring solution was specified to protect the sub-floor and reduce noise to the rest of the building. To ensure a seamless finish to the floor the custom branded 13m long turf track was built up to the same height, as were the custom Graphix platforms.

The hub of this gym is the Shadow Series Rack unit, containing 3 power racks with built in storage for small equipment, additional attachments and each rack linked by bars with ball grip pull up handles for alternative stimulus. Finally, connected to the racks by another storage bay are an integrated Lat Pull/Low Row and a height adjustable cable station. This unit takes up one complete side of the gym and makes a big statement.

On the other side of the custom track which runs down the spine of the gym there is a dumbbell storage rack holding a full set of Raze PU dumbbells, a bi-lateral leg press, and a glute drive and ham glute bench. Cardio equipment was also supplied with a Wattbike, Concept 2, Renegade Airbike, and Concept 2 Ski Erg. All these items are at the periphery of the room and with the seamless nature of the flooring, this provides a large amount of open space for coaches to programme and run different elements of their sessions.

Through a period of consultation with ANGUSalive, Indigo Fitness designed innovative space layouts using equipment more in line with the market trends and also integrating new popular spaces on to the gym floor, while not sacrificing any functionality to the space or equipment to the users.

Starting from the ground up, to really transform this facility the gym flooring was the first consideration. We installed 32mm DuraTRAIN rubber flooring tiles to make the environment suitable for strength and functional training.

The training zones consisted of Strength, Functional Training and Fixed Resistance and Cardio. These distinct training areas maximise floor space and give each area a clear identity.

We designed a connected half rack including integrated storage and dual cable machine to create a functional training area. This includes 2 Graphix Inset Platforms personalised with ANGUSalive branding and the blue branding to strengthen the brand identity across angusALIVE sites. On the other side of the racks we also supplied HIIT cardio machines including RAZE Renegade Airbikes, Runners and Concept2 SkiErgs.

We also supplied plate loaded single station strength machines, custom coloured, a variety of functional and strength accessory items.