A family cabana at North Jeffco (Colo.) Parks and Recreation Center (above right),served by a wet vestibule outside (above).

www.athleticbusiness.com July 2001 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 75

FACILITY PLANNINGPh

otos b

y Mich

ael S

hope

nn

he family locker room, an idea that became popularless than a decade ago, was once a revolutionary con-

cept in community recreation center design. This is nolonger true. Family locker rooms have become so popularfor a variety of users that it would be difficult to imaginebuilding a center without at least one.

Now more widely and accurately called “special-needschanging rooms,” the concept is simple — provide locker

IN THE DECADE SINCE THE

ADVENT OF FAMILY LOCKER

ROOMS, “SPECIAL-NEEDS

CHANGING ROOMS” (AS THEY’RE

NOW CALLED) HAVE EXPANDED TO

GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF PRIVACY TO

A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

By Craig Bouck

IN THE DECADE SINCE THE

ADVENT OF FAMILY LOCKER

ROOMS, “SPECIAL-NEEDS

CHANGING ROOMS” (AS THEY’RE

NOW CALLED) HAVE EXPANDED TO

GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF PRIVACY TO

A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

TT

1/6

room space for opposite-sex parentswith young children and anyone needingthe assistance of a companion. Special-needs changing rooms eliminated awk-ward problems by providing thesepatrons with shower, toilet and changingareas separate from the main lockerrooms.

Their success was immediate andextraordinary; demand exceeded supplyin almost every instance. As a result,SNCRs have grown into a major buildingcomponent of newmunicipal recreationfacilities, and theynow have a tremen-dous impact on con-struction budgets.

Much has beenlearned during thisevolutionary process.Perhaps most surpris-ing is the fact thatalmost all patronsbenefit directly orindirectly from anSNCR. Although de-signed for familiesand patrons with spe-cial needs, many senior citizens appreci-ate the accessible features, particularlythe safety of extra grab bars. Couples findit convenient to share a locker and bringonly one lock. Still others simply seekadded privacy, such as post-surgicalpatients or obese individuals.

Perhaps least expected was the bene-fit to those patrons who see their recre-ation facility as a respite, a place to relax,unwind and recharge. With SNCRs, thosepatrons don’t have to contend withnoisy, excited children — either becausethe children are using their own chang-ing room, or because the respite-seekingusers are. SNCRs therefore have animpact on facilities’ marketing plans, aslocker rooms, once an expensive neces-sity, become assets equal in somepatrons’ minds to the gymnasium, fit-ness room or lap pool.

Many facility owners see this as anasset to be exploited. New or plannedmunicipal recreation centers in WheatRidge and Evergreen, Colo., have beendesigned to include six SNCRs each. Theplanned Evergreen facility, in BuchananPark, will devote 200 percent morespace to SNCRs than the year-old WheatRidge center.

More significant than the proliferationof SNCRs is the design evolution

these spaces have undergone and theimpact they have had on buildings’ over-all square footage, circulation, interiordesign and construction budget.

Early versions of the family lockerroom ranged from a dressing stall with abench to a separate room with a shower,toilet and dressing area located inside the

main locker room. Some centers createda separate family locker area with privatestalls for dressing and showers, with toi-lets, sinks, hair/hand dryers and lockerslocated in an adjacent room. Each ofthese solutions was successful in its ownway, but as the demand for the facilitiesgrew, these configurations prompted newand more innovative designs.

SNCR square footage in some designshas become equal to the square footageallotted traditional locker areas for men

and women. As aresult, the overallbuilding square foot-age of these centershas increased, accom-modating the newlocker areas whilemaintaining amplespace for other pro-gram components, aswell.

One primary reasonfor square footagegrowth in these roomshas to do with a signif-icant paradigm shift inthe design. As previ-

ously noted, early versions experimentedwith separate changing stalls containingindividual showers. Patrons then shareda common toilet and sink. This workedfairly well, but proved inefficient whenpatrons were forced to wait to use theseparate toilet and sink to finish dressing.Today, it is more typical to find fully con-tained rooms, sometimes referred to as“cabanas,” that include a shower, bench,toilet, sink, mirrors, baby changing tableand an electric hand/hair dryer. Individ-ual cabanas then open to a commonspace containing large-capacity lockersand leading directly to the aquatics areaand the building’s main circulation corri-dor. At least one (and often several) ofthe cabanas is outfitted with accessibleshowers and fixtures, extra grab bars anda full-length bench, allowing adults tochange while lying down if necessary.

The open corridor surrounded bycabana changing rooms has severaladvantages, both practical and aesthetic.In terms of traffic flow and access, thisarrangement provides clear passage fromthe main hallway to the pool for classes,patrons using wheelchairs and eventspectators. The openness of the passage-way also provides another view into theaquatics area and helps discourage inap-propriate behavior and misuse of thechanging rooms by teenagers and others.

In traditional locker room environ-ments, sight lines and separate areas forsinks, toilets and lockers dictate the famil-iar maze-like arrangement of walls. Nolonger limited by these constraints, thefamily locker corridor is straightforward,open and clearly marks a major transitionspace between the exciting, animated

76 ATHLETIC BUSINESS July 2001 www.athleticbusiness.com

A sign of the times at the Westlake (Ohio) Recreation Center.

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CIRCLE 62 ON REPLY CARD

aquatics areas and the rest of the facility.Because the family corridor tends to bus-tle with activity as various patrons movebetween lockers, cabanas and aquaticsareas, designers are provided with a set-ting for a dynamic space, one potentiallyquite different from the stark, utilitarianfeel of traditional locker areas.

Separate rooms, each outfitted asdescribed, have an impact on the bud-get. Even utilizing finishes similar tothose in traditional locker rooms, SNCRs

are more expensive. As you mightexpect, added doors, walls, lighting andventilation requirements all increase theproject costs. Operators and designershave to weigh this added cost againstpotential loss of revenue and/or goodwillif a family locker room is excluded —especially if this is a feature provided bynearby community centers. If a familylocker room is a priority, and a spacecompromise is necessary, one solutionmight be to downsize the men’s andwomen’s locker rooms, and shiftresources to the family locker area.

There are numerous ways to configurea family locker and changing area.

The following design considerationsrefer to family locker rooms in general,but are based on the layout outlinedabove, consisting of separate cabanarooms arranged around a commonlocker and circulation area.

• Quantity. The exact number ofcabana rooms should depend on patrondemographics and the features of theaquatics area. High concentrations offamilies with small children and/orseniors increase the demand for rooms.Aquatics areas catering to families andseniors with features such as zero-depthentries and lazy rivers will have greaterneed than those primarily serving com-petitive swimming. New centers tend tohave at least one cabana per 3,800

www.athleticbusiness.com July 2001 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 77CIRCLE 63 ON REPLY CARD

The success of family lockerrooms was

immediate and extraordinary;

demand exceededsupply in almostevery instance.

The success of family lockerrooms was

immediate and extraordinary;

demand exceededsupply in almostevery instance.

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square feet of aquatics area, and asmany as one per 1,400 square feet.

• Walls. Materials that are durable,moisture-resistant and easy to clean arestill the best choice for any locker room.Walls are typically constructed of con-crete masonry units and finished withceramic tile or epoxy paint. Often a com-bination of these two finishes offers thebest value.

• Floors. The ability to maintain slip-resistance and an attractive, cleanappearance dictates flooring materials.

Ceramic tile, although one of the moreexpensive options, is the preferredchoice, as it performs well in both theseareas. Other options include sealed con-crete and poured quartz epoxy surfacing.

Concrete is often considered as a cost-saving alternative to ceramic tile. Whenreviewing this option, however, considerthat broom-finished or stamped concrete,while offering good slip-resistance ini-tially, can wear down with heavy use andrequire resurfacing. Additionally, whileplain concrete can be economical, pat-

78 ATHLETIC BUSINESS July 2001 www.athleticbusiness.com

CIRCLE 64 ON REPLY CARD

CIRCLE 65 ON REPLY CARD

A typical SNCR layout features a communal locker area on one side and a plumbing chase on the other forcost-efficient repairs.

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terned and colored concrete require spe-cial skill to install and carry a premiumcost, sometimes more than ceramic tile.

Poured quartz epoxy flooring isanother economical option worth con-sidering, as it offers good long-term slipresistance and comes in a variety of col-ors. Poured epoxy, however, does wearwith heavy use, revealing traffic patterns,and can be difficult to keep clean.

• Ceilings. Ceiling materials need tocreate a waterproof barrier that is easilycleaned. Water vapor escaping into theceiling cavity will cause damage to thestructural members above. Plaster, or anacrylic polymer coating much likestucco, applied to an appropriate sub-strate provides good, watertight protec-tion and should be a minimum treatmentfor ceilings in showers and drying areas.A cost-saving alternative for other areasis epoxy paint applied over water-resis-tant gypsum board.

• Doors and frames. The locker roomenvironment is naturally corrosive to fer-rous metal. Metal doors and frames aresubject to constant use, and exposedparts will be the most susceptible todecay. Fortunately, there are severaloptions for doors that reduce this risk.Stainless steel offers the best protectionand durability. Steel doors can be galva-nized and then epoxy painted, whichoffers good protection and durability. Alu-minum doors, prefinished with a high-per-formance exterior paint, will also performwell. Finally, there are now compositedoors made of fiberglass panels, whichwill not rust, but repair is difficult and thestandard color options are limited.

www.athleticbusiness.com July 2001 ATHLETIC BUSINESS 79

CIRCLE 66 ON REPLY CARD

CIRCLE 67 ON REPLY CARD

A complete set of amenities is included in eachcompact cabana space.

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Doorframes, unless part of a prefin-ished aluminum storefront system,should always be made of stainless steel.Frame legs touch the floor and are inconstant contact with water because ofsplashing and cleaning, and thereforerequire the highest degree of protection.If possible, hardware for doors shouldalso be stainless steel, including hingesand the inner hardware mechanisms.

• Toilets and sinks. The trend in SNCRsis to provide rooms containing theplumbing fixtures and accessories a fam-ily needs to dress and shower. Arrange-ment of the rooms allows for efficient useof space and easy maintenance. Often a 3-foot-wide plumbing chase is includedbehind (or between rows of) changingrooms to allow easy access to valves andfittings. Toilets and sinks are arrangedalong this chase and wall-mounted to aidfloor cleaning. A word of caution: Whenconsidering the use of automatic flushvalves on toilets, remember that thesedevices frighten many children.

• Showers. Avoid shower doors if pos-sible; curtains allow easier access andrequire less space. Showerheads presenta special problem, as required mainte-nance seems directly proportional toadjustability. Accordingly, the lifeexpectancy of handheld showerheadstypically included in accessible showersrarely exceeds two weeks. Nonad-

justable heads are available, but are typi-cally not preferred by patrons. If consid-ering adjustable showerheads, keepmany extra heads in stock. A benchmade of waterproof material andsecured to the wall with stainless steelhardware should be located next to theshower. This is not only convenient for

the user but helps keep most of thewater in one area.

• Drains. Provide two floor drains, onein the shower and one centered in theroom to catch drips from wet swimsuitsand potential overflow from fixtures.

• Baby-changing stations. A foldawaybaby-changing station should beincluded in every changing room. To par-ents with young children, this is a much-appreciated amenity, especially sinceshowering and changing in and out ofswimsuits usually involves a diaperchange. It is also a good idea to provide asmall, wall-mounted, stainless steel wastereceptacle. These are a better optionthan plastic trashcans on the floor, whichclutter and impede cleaning of the space.

• Hooks. Provide as many hooks aspossible. Dry clothes, wet swimsuits,towels, gym bags, diaper bags, gogglesand jackets all need a place to hang, asthe floor will almost always be wet andbench space is typically limited.

• Electric hand/hair dryer. Providing thisfeature not only eliminates the problem ofpaper towel waste, clean-up and restock,it can also eliminate the need for a blow-dryer outlet. The built-in timer encour-ages patrons to finish more quickly,freeing the changing room sooner.

• Lighting. Generally, two sources oflight are adequate. Provide one fixturerated for wet locations in the shower,

80 ATHLETIC BUSINESS July 2001 www.athleticbusiness.com CIRCLE 68 ON REPLY CARD

Family lockerspaces have an

impact on buildings’ overallsquare footage,

circulation, interiordesign and

construction budget.

Family lockerspaces have an

impact on buildings’ overallsquare footage,

circulation, interiordesign and

construction budget.

Design-TecTM represents the finest combination ofdesign and engineering available in solid phenoliclocker systems. The materials from which the system ismade make Design-Tec lockers entirely waterproof andrustproof inside and out. They are particularly suited towithstand harsh environments because of their durabil-ity and resistance to moisture. A special melamine over-coat applied to the solid resin panels adds extraprotection from damage, chemicals, scratching andimpact. The phenolic material used in Design-Teclocker systems is manufactured using Trespa®, thelargest phenolic manufacturer in the world.

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and another rated for damp locations toilluminate the rest of the room. It’s veryimportant not to compromise the water-proof ceiling with penetrations. Useeither surface-mounted fixtures orrecessed units that seal completely.

• Lockers. Lockers are located in thecommon circulation space outside eachchanging room. Materials for the lockersshould be as water-resistant as the bud-get will allow. Phenolic and solid plasticmaterials with stainless steel hardwareoffer long-term service at an admittedlyhigh cost. Plastic laminate is a lower-costalternative that works well if a water-resistant core material is used. If not,water from wet swimsuits and constantwater spray from cleaning crews candestroy your investment. If, for bud-getary reasons, standard particleboard isused for plastic laminate lockers, realizethat these will need to be replaced withinfive years. Metal lockers are another pos-sibility, depending on the ability of thefacility’s HVAC system to remove mois-ture from the air efficiently. (Metal lock-ers’ coatings are impervious to water, butunless the locker is made of stainlesssteel, scratches can lead to rust.)

Regardless of the material specified,mount lockers off the floor, away frommoisture as much as possible. Lockersize is important. Families want to beable to put all their gear in one place

secured with a single lock or key. Lock-ers should be at least 24 inches wide, 18inches deep and 30 inches tall, orroughly twice the capacity of a standardlocker. It is also a good idea to provide afew standard-size lockers in full and halfheights to accommodate those who donot need large lockers.

• Security and safety. Despite the opennature of the family locker room corridor,additional supervision may be required

to ensure patron safety and to discour-age misuse of cabanas. Typically, thismeans staff should walk through thespace frequently enough to let patronsknow that the area is being monitoredand that facility rules and policies will beenforced. At peak times, staff walk-throughs can also help ensure thatcabanas remain available to patrons withfamilies and special needs by directingother patrons to use the regular lockerrooms. Such monitoring can also helpidentify maintenance and cleaning needs.

As the popularity of SNCRs continuesto grow and design concepts change

with the needs of patrons, there will bemore pressure to increase the squarefootage allotted to these spaces. Theinevitable limited construction budgetswill therefore require refocused atten-tion on all locker room areas, and facilityplanners should consider trading tradi-tional locker space for expanded SNCRs.The family changing room concept isnow an indispensable component of newmunicipally operated and collegiaterecreation centers. It is a trend that ishere to stay. ■

Craig Bouck (craigbouck@brsarch.com)is a senior associate with Barker RinkerSeacat Architecture, 2300 15th St., Suite100, Denver, CO 80202, 303/455-1366.

82 ATHLETIC BUSINESS July 2001 www.athleticbusiness.com

As you mightexpect, addeddoors, walls, lighting and ventilation

requirements allincrease project

costs.

As you mightexpect, addeddoors, walls, lighting and ventilation

requirements allincrease project

costs.

CIRCLE 74 ON REPLY CARD

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