Through the years, school gymnasiums have been the center of physical education, team competitions and a myriad of recreational activities. While community programs, school assemblies, and art/science exhibits are often housed in gyms, the primary focus of a gym should be physical fitness. While designing a gymnasium seems easy enough, there are often mistakes that are made that make a gym less useful, less safe, or not as beneficial as a properly designed gym. Here are 11 key issues to take into consideration when designing your next gym.

If an activity is going to take place in a gym, either during the school day or after, proper planning needs to occur. It is a lot easier to plan in the beginning than to retrofit after the gym is constructed. It is also a good idea to get input from the community regarding its needs and desires.

When tracks are designed above a gym, resist the temptation to reduce the size.  You will avoid frustrating runners and walkers alike.

3.      Motorize and electrify. There are a number of components in a gym that need to operate and move so that the gym can function properly. Wrestling mat movers in the ceiling or retractable batting cages are obviously electrically operated. It is also a good idea to install electrically operated backstops and bleachers. While the initial cost is greater, there is a reduction in staff time, and the equipment tends to last longer.

4.      Plan for adequate storage. Having one enormously large gym storage room is not the answer. Instead, plan for a variety of storage areas that are different sizes. While there should be a large gym storage area, there should also be a smaller room for balls, carts, and smaller equipment. If a community group is using the gym after school, plan for a separate storage room specifically for their use. This storage room should even be keyed separately so they only have access to their storage room and not the other ones.  Be sure to look around other gyms and notice what equipment is hiding in the corners or even in the lobby. When you see a lobby with gym equipment off to the side, it is a sure sign of poor planning.

5.      Select the proper flooring. Money spent on a good floor is well spent.  Whether you select a rubber floor, synthetic floor, or traditional wood floor, consider all the uses of the gym before making a final determination. While cost is certainly a key factor, consider maintenance and longevity, as replacing a gym floor should not be a common occurrence.

6.      Add natural lighting. Most activities in a gym require lighting, and natural light is wonderful way to provide lighting during the day. It is important to avoid standard windows, as they produce glare and have the potential for breakage.

A better option is a translucent wall panel or skylight. These fiberglass "windows" allow natural lighting to enter the gym in a non-glare fashion. While schools have steered away from skylights in the past due to a history of leakage problems, a properly designed skylight is a very viable option. The key in using skylights is to purchase a quality unit and make sure it is installed properly. An acrylic dome skylight is not of the same quality as a metal framed skylight with translucent panels.

8.      Consider Acoustics. Gyms, by their very nature, are loud spaces. Combine a lot of energetic students and a plethora of hard surfaces, and sound will naturally bounce around the space. Adding acoustical block is a standard for any gym. This block looks like regular block but it has slots in it, and behind the slots are fiberglass insulation for sound absorption. Be sure to use regular block in areas that students can touch. Otherwise they will fill the slots with gum, candy wrappers, and other items not designed to fill the voids. If there is a need to put in a ceiling (most gyms have exposed ceilings that are painted), for acoustical reasons be sure to use a durable one. Tectum ceilings, while not the most aesthetic, are like installing plywood panels as a ceiling. You can also specify hold-down clips so, if a ball hits the ceiling, the ceiling panel will not pop out of place.

9.      Add spectator seating. Adding bleachers or a seating area will increase the size of a gym. The reality is that gymnasiums draw spectators. They will need a place to sit, and so planning for bleachers is a wise decision. In some situations only a small area of seating may be required, but do not forget about spectators.

10.   Incorporate Support Spaces. Students don't shower like they used to, and often it seems that schools are not very concerned about showers. While that may be the case, there are certain sports, like wrestling and swimming, where showering has always been mandatory. Without a shower, locker rooms may take on the form of a changing room. Also, there is a need for referee areas for many sports. Finally, physical education teachers and coaches also need space, whether it is an office or a designated work space.

11.   Develop the details.  The details area critical part of the gym design. Don't design exit doors below the main backstop so that your star basketball player does a lay-up and ends up in the lobby. Don't add columns that they protrude into the rectangular gym. Don't forget to add wall pads to a variety of walls to increase safety. Add drinking fountains in the lobby so that, if they should break, they do not overflow onto the gymnasium's wood floor.  Locate the gym so there is direct access to playgrounds and playfields.

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