A well-designed changing room needs to look considered, feel right for the setting and stand up to heavy use, moisture and frequent cleaning.
That is true whether the project is a leisure centre, health club, swimming pool, golf club, arena or sports facility.
The best results come from treating the changing room as a complete space rather than a collection of separate products. Cubicles, lockers and benching all need to work together, visually and practically, with materials chosen to suit the environment.
Choosing the right materials for wet and dry areas
In poolside changing rooms and shower areas, materials need to cope with water, humidity and repeated cleaning. Solid Grade Laminate (SGL) is particularly well suited to these environments because it is impervious to water, durable and easy to maintain.
Dry changing areas allow more flexibility. High Pressure Laminate (HPL) and decorative finishes offer a wider choice of colours and textures while still delivering the durability needed in busy facilities.
Using complementary finishes across both areas helps create a consistent design without compromising performance.
A coordinated approach to changing rooms
Cubicles may be the most visible part of a changing room, but lockers and benching have just as much influence on how the space works.
They all need to stand up to regular use, knocks and everyday wear. Specifying cubicles, panelling, lockers and benching together also helps create a consistent look throughout the changing room, with materials and finishes chosen to suit how each area will be used.
Venesta offers a wide range of washroom systems with options to suit different design, performance and budget requirements. This gives architects and specifiers the flexibility to create a coordinated changing environment suited to the setting.
Durability is central to whole-life value
Robust construction, secure fixings and materials selected for the environment can help reduce damage, minimise repairs and extend the life of changing-room facilities.
Maintenance also needs to be considered from the outset. Leisure facilities often operate for long hours, making closures and disruption difficult to manage. Products that are straightforward to clean and maintain can help facilities teams keep spaces operational and looking their best.
Reducing disruption during refurbishment
Refurbishment brings an additional challenge. Facilities often need to upgrade changing rooms while keeping closures to a minimum, making careful specification and efficient installation particularly important.
Pre-plumbed panelling can help reduce the amount of work needed on site and shorten installation times. This can cut installation time by up to 50%, helping facilities reduce disruption, plan works with more certainty and get spaces back into use sooner.
Get the specification right early
With different requirements across wet and dry environments and the need to balance design, durability and maintenance, early specification decisions can make a big difference.
Accessibility needs to be considered from the outset too. Approved Documents M and T, alongside guidance from bodies such as Sport England, help inform requirements around accessible changing provision, cubicle sizes, lockers and benching.
Iain Hodd, Leisure Business Development Manager at Venesta, says:
“There’s a lot riding on the early specification decisions. Get the materials and systems right for the environment and you’re giving the facility a much better chance of performing well, with fewer maintenance issues further down the line.”
Iain will be attending the Physical Activity Facilities Forum in October and will be available to discuss upcoming leisure and changing-room projects with delegates.
For further information on Venesta’s leisure washroom solutions, visit venesta.co.uk.
