The Recovery Gym is the Pacific Northwest’s first fitness center dedicated to helping people on the path to recovery for substance use and mental health disorders, and the first of its kind—anywhere—to merge fitness, data, and mentorship to do so.” From the Recovery Gym Website. This gym is unlike we’ve ever seen in Portland, and Kevin Twitty Interiors was so excited to take part in helping people through their recovery journey! We truly believe in their mission to use physical exercise and data to help people live healthy and sober lives. So, we wanted to make it a special and inspiring space for people!
Recovery Gym’s focus is on tailored programs based on research to help their client achieve healthy lives. They typically do CrossFit, HIIT-style classes, and personal training. They typically do CrossFit, HIIT-style classes, and personal training. For this design, we wanted to evoke a feeling of intensity and commitment. We brought in dark colors to bring contrast and used their X-shaped logo throughout the building to remind people of the gym’s mission. We keep the exposed brick on the back wall and use rubber flooring throughout.
Space planning was a huge part of this project for us. They host multi-faceted group classes here, which means changing setups and equipment needs. CrossFit workouts change daily, so we made a space that can adapt to those changes. For example, the row machines can stand up and stack in the corner of the room leaving plenty of space for floor-based exercises. Many other details were considered when creating the layout of this space.
We also created a hang-out space for people to build community and connect. Because this gym is focused on those recovering from substance abuse, it’s crucial to have the right people around you to be able to find sobriety. This space is where people can connect, encourage, and support each other through their journey. We used leather chairs and wood finishes for easy cleaning while still maintaining the industrial look. We also included rolling garage doors to let in air during a workout or bring the outdoors in during a casual hang in the lounge area.
