An interesting change has taken place in many leisure centres across the UK in recent years: traditional open-plan gender-specific changing rooms have given way to changing ‘villages’ that offer individual unisex changing cubicles and showers. It’s arguably an effective way of addressing the privacy and safeguarding objections commonly voiced when the issue of gender-neutral facilities is raised. But what about smaller facilities?
Many gyms and boutique studios enjoy high levels of footfall, especially during peak times, but often they have limited space – making the provision of numerous individual changing areas and shower rooms both an impractical and expensive option.
Smaller fitness facilities looking for practical ways to make their communal areas gender neutral clearly have a challenge to overcome, but some in the industry are already doing just that. We took a closer look.