Study about leisure centres from GT3 Architects Sports centre with a swimming pool and

HOW CAN DESIGN MAKE LEISURE CENTRES MORE INCLUSIVE?

RESEARCH FOCUSES ON CAREGIVERS’ NEEDS

Interview Paul Reed, GT3 Architects Photos GT3 Architects & Kristen McCluskie Photography

IAKS member GT3 Architects, a UK-based architecture firm specialising in sports and leisure, has undertaken a research piece as part of its inclusive design series. The first project part looked specifically at caregivers of young children – this was defined as any adult who had experience of taking a young child to a leisure centre. Paul Reed, associate director and head of sports and leisure, explains why it is crucial to consider who is using sports facilities and what barriers visitors may face.

According to the 2018/19 Active Lives: Children and Young People Survey by Sport England, it was estimated that only 46 % of the nation’s children are meeting the recommended level of activity. This has dropped even further with Covid-19 restrictions to just 19 % of children being active for 60 minutes per day. What is to be done to get people more active, addressing actually all demographic groups of the population? “At present, leisure centres only cater to 16 % of the population. There is a need to create exciting, beautiful, and well-balanced facilities to support under-represented groups and demographics who don’t currently feel catered for at sports and leisure facilities.

We discovered that 85 % of caregivers surveyed find it incredibly difficult to deal with the challenges of a leisure centre – such as where to put a child while you get changed or how to get into the pool safely if your child cannot stand by itself – particularly when alone.

59 % of people surveyed said they are usually the only adult responsible for their child or children during a visit and the word ‘stressful’ was used frequently, with caregivers feeling that the experience is more difficult than they would like. Encouragingly, 58 % of people surveyed would like to visit a leisure centre more often. We believe that if facilities were designed with caregivers in mind, they would use the facilities more, increasing both their own and their children’s exposure to water and / or fitness activities.”

Why is it critical to identify the barriers faced by users and ensure that any design meets the physical, mental and social needs of caregivers? “By including a few simple additions – such as safe parking and access to the facility, a waiting area in reception, clear wayfinding, buggy stores near the changing rooms, and considered family changing rooms – it can have a massive impact on how caregivers use the space and ultimately create an improved experience.

Design is more than just shaping the physical environment. It involves addressing standards, practices and behaviours as well as changing the way users are engaged. By considering space, layout, technology and visual aspects, we can create a more family-friendly and safer design that will ensure modern leisure centres are used and loved.

As an industry we need to fully understand how our designs can be used to provide more welcoming and inclusive facilities

for all, improving both the physical and mental health of our communities in the process. As architects, we can play a part in encouraging activity, especially now that leisure centres are reopening, and we need to see this opportunity as a much-needed contribution to public health.”

Judith Atkinson, project architect at GT3, led on the survey: “Even small things – such as making sure windows are in children’s sight line and they can hold a handrail when going into the water – make a big difference. I firmly believe that by understanding these caregivers’ experiences – such as knowing that 50 % consider a waiting area within the reception important or that 96 % would prefer a family-friendly cubicle – we can make leisure centres more inclusive.”

GT3 Architects is currently working on its next research pieces: designing for autism and dementia in leisure centres.

www.gt3architects.com

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