Behind the Design: How IndigoFitness Approaches Complex Training Spaces
Older buildings, mixed-use developments, structural limitations, and ambitious client expectations are a compelling combination for a training space. But rarely one that can be resolved with standard gym equipment solutions.
At IndigoFitness, these are exactly the projects we’re drawn to.
Not because they’re difficult, but because they require thought, creativity, and experience. This blog offers a behind-the-scenes look at how we approach complex training spaces, and why process-led gym design is critical for facilities that need to perform long after installation day.
Embracing DESIGN ComplexitY
Many gym projects begin the same way: a fixed footprint, immovable structural elements, and a desire to create a premium experience within tight constraints. Columns interrupt sightlines. Ceiling heights vary. Rooms are rarely a perfect shape.
The temptation is often to solve these challenges quickly by fitting standard equipment around them or masking limitations by adding more product. In practice, this approach usually creates new problems: underused space, compromised usability, visual clutter, and a gym that feels rushed rather than considered.
Our view is simple: complexity needs to be understood before it can be designed around.
A recent example of this was our work with The Lab Spa & Health Club in Clerkenwell, London. The training space was compact and defined by four centrally positioned structural pillars, each slightly misaligned. While they initially appeared to form a simple square, detailed site investigation revealed that any off-the-shelf solution would compromise flow, balance, and usability.
Starting with the SPACE, not the equipment
Every IndigoFitness project begins with a detailed understanding of the space and the brief. Architectural constraints, ceiling heights, training methodologies, and how people move through the space all inform the design long before individual pieces of equipment are discussed.
This stage often reveals details that aren’t immediately obvious that would only become problematic later if ignored.
Rather than treating these findings as obstacles, we treat them as design inputs. They become part of the brief.
At The Lab, this early-stage thinking quickly ruled out conventional rig layouts. Instead, the design evolved around how the space needed to function.
Gym Design is a process
Complex spaces rarely have a single ‘right’ answer. They require iteration.
Early concepts are deliberately tested, challenged, and refined. Multiple rig structures were explored for The Lab, but through collaboration and multiple design iterations, we came to the best possible solution. The focus shifted toward flow and ensuring the rig enhanced the gym rather than overwhelming it.
This process happens collaboratively with the client, ensuring operational realities are considered alongside visual impact. The result is a design that feels confident and considered.
When bespoke becomes essential
In many complex training spaces, bespoke gym design isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.
Structural pillars may need to become functional anchors rather than obstacles. Storage needs to be integrated rather than added later. Training stations must coexist without competing for the same footprint.
At The Lab, three of the four pillars were linked using a bespoke bridge rig, transforming structural constraints into functional assets. The remaining pillar was intentionally left clear, preserving openness beneath the rig and allowing flexible HIIT and cardio activity to take place.
By designing and manufacturing in-house in the UK, we’re able to resolve these challenges precisely. Custom dimensions, integrated storage, tailored finishes, and structural detailing ensure each solution works perfectly within its space.
Bespoke doesn’t just mean visually distinctive. It means fit-for-purpose, durable, and adaptable over time.
Balancing visual impact with operational performance
A premium training space must perform during peak hours, not just look good in principle.
This means understanding how coaches programme sessions, how members move between stations, where equipment is returned, and how multiple activities coexist.
At The Lab, the bespoke functional rig now acts as both a visual centrepiece and a functional training zone, guiding movement through the space, improving flow, and making the gym feel larger and more open than its footprint suggests.
Design-led thinking ensures that visual statements never come at the expense of usability.
Collaboration as a design tool
Complex projects work best as partnerships.
Close collaboration with clients allows ideas to be refined together, balancing ambition with practicality. Operators bring deep knowledge of their members, programming, and brand identity; we bring experience in translating those needs into solutions.
This shared process reduces risk, builds confidence, and results in training spaces that support how people actually train.
A lesson for premium operators
For operators investing in high-value, long-term facilities, the lesson is clear:
Great training spaces aren’t created by filling rooms with equipment. They’re created by understanding constraints, designing with intent, and trusting the process.
The Lab Spa & Health Club project demonstrates how architectural limitations can become defining features, when approached with experience and collaboration.
At IndigoFitness, we approach every project as a design challenge first. By leading with British-made craft, problem-solving design, and end-to-end delivery, we help clients turn complex spaces into considered training spaces that stand the test of time.
You can view the full Lab Spa & Health Club case study here.
CREATE YOUR DREAM SOLUTION
If you’re navigating a complex training space and want a design-led approach grounded in experience, our team is always happy to start with a conversation.
