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Designing for the Mind and the Body
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But lately, I’m seeing something different: training and fitness facilities that support users’ mental health. This next generation of design has numerous features, not all of which are totally unfamiliar. What is new is that they’re being combined into a single objective: to improve the entire person, body and mind, from the moment they walk in the door.
I spent 19 years on the United States National and Olympic Teams for swimming. There were many years where I consistently struggled with my mental health. This was during a time that seems so distant now – training athletes meant forcing us to toughen up, grow a thicker skin, and focus only on what was in front of us. In my case, avoiding mental health treatment led to burnout, anxiety and, eventually, depression. Seeking treatment came with a label of feeling broken and weak.
But the narrative is changing, as part of a huge shift in what we mean by fitness, toward a whole-body approach that is backed up by scientific data. When we bring our mind and our body together in a social setting, we don’t just feel better, we’re actually getting healthier. Our definition of health is shifting away from the physical alone, and now includes mental health, gut health, and a sense of security and community. Addressing mental health is no longer that different from seeing a primary care doctor or an athletic trainer – it’s just part of a healthy life.
Part of this shift comes from the pandemic, which raised the standard for what we consider healthy and safe. Another part comes from elite athletes like Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, and Caeleb Dressel, who have stepped away from competitions on the world stage to address needs that go beyond those of the body. In breaking these entrenched stigmas around mental health, they are leading the way for a new generation of athletes to train their whole body.
Before I took on a whole-body training approach, I bottled up my mental challenges and pushed them as far away as I could. But the mind has a way of showing up, no matter what you do to suppress it. I had years of illness, fatigue, and injuries. Then I began working with a psychologist and a holistic nutritionist. Over time, I saw significant improvements. At the 2012 Olympic Games, I won gold in the 100-meter butterfly, breaking the world record. Then, as a new mother, went on to win gold at the 2016 Olympics, becoming the first mother in the history of swimming to win a gold medal. Those years turned out to be the best years of my career.
Fast forward to my work as a recreational programmer. I get to bring that whole-body outlook to every project I’m on. I first became aware of my passion for architecture when I began to notice the impact that a building’s design has on our minds and bodies. That’s why I became a WELL-accredited professional: so that I could help create healthy spaces that lead to a whole- body mindset.
Nowadays, it’s become clear to me that higher-education clients are driving the narrative on whole-body training. And the primary venue for this shift turns out to be campus recreation centers, which are uniquely equipped to guide students, faculty, and even community users toward a healthier way of life. Plus, higher-education clients have the power to tie healthy programming into campus-wide messaging and initiatives, effectively super-charging the positive effects. That’s why it’s on college campuses where our projects can best address health at all scales, from the level of a health district down to the tiniest interior nuance.
In working with clients, I like to use the WELL Building framework, which helps us to evaluate the building’s impact on the mind and each of our anatomical systems – skeletal, cardiovascular, immune, nervous, respiratory, and so on – and guide us toward design solutions. When we consider the renovation of a multipurpose room, for example, we consider the sensory qualities of the space, like lighting, air, and acoustics. How can we admit more natural light without glare? How can our MEP team remove particulate matter and keep air moving around the space and across its users? These are just two factors – out of a vast constellation – that lead to a feeling of general wellness among users, leading them to stay longer and return more often.
Our Kinesiology & Wellness Building at Cañada College.
There are countless other factors, but in my work with higher-ed clients, I like to consider these key ones below.
Recovery: As I have experienced and science has repeatedly shown, recovery is just as important as performance. There may be space dedicated to massage therapy, physical therapy, and hot and cold tanks. Yet this is also a place to decompress from the emotional challenges of modern life. A feeling of safety and belonging is essential to recovery. This can come from countless material and programmatic decisions. Similar to physical recovery, mental health isn’t just the basis for physical achievement, it facilitates greater achievement overall. That’s why some spaces allow users to book mental-health appointments on site. We program nearby areas of the center for relaxation and rejuvenation though activities such as yoga, meditation, stretching, and Pilates.
Nourishment: Another key to recovery is nutrition, which is an essential part of the new design mindset. I’m thrilled when a social area within the center is designed to promote healthy food choices. Putting fruits and vegetables on clear display makes it easy for users to make healthy choices. Juice bars and cafés drive economic activity. Students can find employment there, as at our Cañada College project. I’ve even seen some recreation projects incorporate a teaching kitchen, which extends the continuum of self-care. Just as people learn how to use their bodies properly, they can also learn about what they’re putting into that body, why, and how to prepare it.
Views: Experiencing the outdoors, even virtually, can augment how you use your body. For our project at the College of Marin’s new Miwok center, we put all the physical activities at the building’s backside and lined spaces with overhead doors so that users could gaze out at the rolling hills and oak trees of the adjacent nature preserve. In our conceptual work for UC San Diego’s Canyonview Recreation Center, we designed upper-floor spaces that made use of the campus’s strong tree canopy. We’re helping people to avoid staring endlessly at the treadmill screen or a phone but rather focusing them outward and almost forcing them to connect with nature and their surroundings. Conversely, even though it sounds counterintuitive to a natural experience, we can immerse users in the outdoors digitally through a wall of screens in a spin room or the use of augmented reality.
For the UC San Diego’s Canyonview Recreation Center project, we designed upper-floor exterior spaces that let users enjoy the campus’s strong tree canopy.
Comfort: When people feel comfortable in a space, they tend to return again and again. Acoustic wall panels address the sound of the space itself and keep noises from transferring to other areas of the center. Adjustable thermostats and operable windows in each room keep the climate comfortable despite all the activity. For a sense of pride and belonging, add in graphics that reflect the space’s community, cultures, and abilities. Comfort is a special feeling that’s harder to find when you’re inside a bland concrete box on a treadmill facing the wall.
These are just a few of the ways we can support the whole person, all in one place. We’ve long known that physical exertion helps produce dopamine in the brain and can reduce stress levels. But when combined with a project that prioritizes mental health, creates access to healthy food, and embraces community pride, users can’t help but feel better, the moment they’re inside.
And what better time to be introduced to these concepts than on a college campus? You leave home, you come to this incredible place, and start to develop the skills to balance your health and ambitions going forward. Campuses are setting up a whole new generation of people who prioritize this holistic perspective on life. It almost makes me wish I was a student again.
ELS’ Stonestown YMCA in San Francisco is the first WELL Silver certified fitness facility in the country.
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