what we do: interiors: east bay ymca

richmond, ca

east bay ymca

originally designed in the 1980's, this 27,000 sf facility had not aged well. over time the facility had grown in a manor not anticipated in the original design; many program areas that drive membership became trapped in areas of the building that were cramped and dark. wonderful canyon views were left disconnected from much of the facility and the arrival sequence was confusing and uninviting. a palette of dated colors and materials contributed to a heavy handed image and a facility that showed signs of its age in all the wrong ways.

we helped the ymca determine the highest revenue generating activities in the health club as well as those programs that had untapped potential. using a system of priorities driven by membership generation potential we reconsidered the program distribution in the building and suggested a number of space re-allocations so that each program space that had the highest value was placed in the appropriate area of the facility to increase space, visual impact and to take advantage of the beautiful canyon views. the end result was a fundamental reinvention of the facility's image and an immediate increase in memberships.