The physical process of renovating a space is no-easy task when your rec center is busy day in and day out.
However, oftentimes a renovation is a must that in the end will bring greater benefit to your students. Sandra Salute, the assistant director of fitness and wellness at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), explained their recent renovation was for the students’ gain. “We were looking to renovate a space that did not get a lot of foot traffic,” she said. “We were also looking for a solution to accommodate more individuals and allow more group and social physical activities.”
CSUN partnered with Aktiv Solutions in order to bring their vision of a Functional Playground to life. It was at the IHRSA tradeshow in March 2017 where she said they were “blown away” by Aktiv’s setup. “We partnered with Aktiv because of their innovative ideas and focus around providing a comprehensive and tailored solution for the project versus simply equipment specification” said Salute. “Partnering with Aktiv has allowed us to stay relevant with industry trends, and to create that environment where people feel connected to other students, to the SRC and to the CSUN campus.”
The 138,000-square-foot Student Recreation Center (SRC) located in Northridge, California, added the new Functional Fitness Playground that in total spans 2,480 square feet. The space allows for multi-faceted programming and features a number of Gym Rax smart rigging solutions, flooring transitions and ample storage. The area also incorporates a customizable obstacle course known as the Strong Matador Challenge.
None of this would have been possible without the partnerships developed between CSUN and Aktiv Solutions. “This partnership has allowed us to bring in more versatile equipment and optimize a space for unlimited programming potential,” said Salute. “It also has created a more engaging environment where students can connect with other students. Staying relevant in this dynamic area will be the key to our ongoing success and we have chosen to work with Aktiv for the long haul.”
All in all, the partnership made accomplishing the goal — renovating a space that did not get a lot of foot traffic into one that did — possible. “Aktiv’s approach – which was focused on design first – was extremely helpful,” said Salute. “From the flooring to the layout to the accessory pieces of fitness equipment, there is a lot of thought and planning that goes into a successful implementation for these type of zones in comparison to purchasing a series of fixed pieces of equipment.”
For more information, visit aktivsolutions.com.
