If you're planning to
revamp the changing facilities at a gym, in a school or even in a workplace,
there are some fundamental design principles you should bear in mind, as well
as a few pieces of furniture that you'll certainly require.
To help you get
started if this is the first such project you've undertaken, here's a guide to
what you'll need to be aware of when you design a changing room.
Furniture
Firstly, measure your
changing room to find out how much space you have to play with and then decide
what sizes and types of furniture you'll want. Lockers and benches will
probably be among the essentials, although you may also like to include pegs
hanging on the walls (or as part of the seating units) to this setup as well.
Think about how many
people will be using the space at the same time to help you determine how many
lockers and benches you'll require during the busiest periods. Even if you
rarely find that your changing rooms are full, it's better to have slightly too
many lockers than too few.
Spacing
When you've determined
what pieces of furniture you want, don't order them straightaway. Instead, go
back to the room with your tape measure and design a floor plan that shows
where everything will be positioned.
You need to be mindful
that people will be moving around one another while using the changing area -
some may need to get into lockers, while others will be getting dressed - so
take this into account when you are working out where to position large items
of furniture and how much space you leave between them.
For example, in a gap
between two rows of lockers where there is also a bench on each side, you'll
require a minimum of 1.5 m between the fronts of the lockers. Alternatively, if
you use a central bench between two sets of lockers, at least 2.1 m will be
required to ensure there is enough room.
Locker height
While it may be
tempting to use as much of the vertical space in your changing room as
possible, especially if the area is a little cramped, don't forget that not
everyone will be able to access high places.
This can certainly be
true in a school setting, where kids won't be as tall as adults. You should
avoid buying stacks of lockers where the top one could be out of reach, as this
encourages people to take risks by standing on benches or other pieces of
furniture to get to their possessions.
Aside from the
inconvenience, it could result in someone having an accident if they slip or
miss their footing.
Flooring
This may not be
something you initially think of when you start looking at designing a changing
room, but the flooring you select is important in more ways than one. Firstly,
if you will be installing freestanding pieces of furniture, is the floor stable
and level?
Secondly, is it easy to clean? This is especially important if you're using it for a work setting and people will be removing the dirty clothes they've been wearing to do their jobs and replacing them with clean garments.
Finally, is it safe?
What I mean by this is will it become slippery when wet and could this lead to
people falling over and injuring themselves? This is likely to be a particular
concern in and around shower rooms, so consider purchasing a non-slip floor
covering and supplementing this with mats in areas that you feel there is a
genuine risk of people slipping.
Do you have any advice
for anyone who's setting up their own changing room? You can find out more
about some of the best products available to kit out this kind of space here.
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