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Leisure centres: A setting in which performance is a hot topic – sporting prowess, gym PBs, swimming galas – all focused on how well an athlete or sports person can perform. At Petal, performance is a key consideration for us in these venues also. From a design and manufacture perspective, we know this is a setting which will test us and our systems like no other. There can be no more demanding environment on the finish of a cubicle or washroom system quite like one that combines the hot, damp conditions of swimming pool changing area with the high footfall and general horseplay associated with sports facilities.

Luckily for our customers, we have risen to these challenges and developed a collection of washroom and changing room systems designed specifically for the leisure sector. For every design and budget, we have a solution that will meet your requirements and ensure a solution that lives out our ethos – ‘Design that Lasts.’

Strength

Choosing robust systems is the more imperative step in ensuring a changing room installation will withstand the test of time. Strong materials matched with suitable hardware and fixings will ensure a combination that performs day in and year out.

Petal’s semi-framed Sprint washroom & changing cubicle system has been designed specifically for leisure environments and features a continuous channel with integral legs. This system provides a strength which is far superior to systems encompassing patch fittings which are prone to wear and tear. The full-length profile eliminates the shakes and rattles often associated with these inferior systems and when coupled with the connection to a headrail, provides exceptional stability. With concealed insert fixings instead of inferior through-panel fixings and with three hinges per door, Petal’s systems withstand not just general rough and tumble but deliberate horseplay, ensuring that even when tested to their limits, these cubicle systems continue to give first class performance. Our many years of experience in cubicle systems mean this hardware has been tried, tested and refined giving the assurance that these systems are built to perform over many years of repeated use.

Achieving this strength can become more difficult in the absence of a back wall. Due to the volume of cubicles required to cater for large footfall venues, leisure changing areas will often include island changing areas. In this case a strong connection to the floor is required which is where a fully framed system will be required. Petal is continuously innovating its approach to manufacture and is currently in the development phase of a new Action 40 system which performs particularly well in an island configuration. Stay tuned for more updates on this new range!

Waterproofness

Another obvious consideration in a leisure setting is the ability of materials to cope with damp conditions. A swimming pool changing room in particular has to cater for a variety of moisture sources – water and steam from the pool and showers, a rigorous cleaning regime, not the mention the wet and/or sweaty occupants! When choosing materials, Compact Grade Laminate (CGL) is an ideal material in this demanding environment due to its extremely high performing waterproof qualities. Its soft radiused edges also ensure user comfort, another important consideration and especially in a family environment.

Don’t forget this requirement for waterproofness will extend beyond the cubicle to other areas of the changing room. Lockers and benches for example will each require the same level of waterproofness to ensure longevity in this environment. Petal’s Action benches are a popular choice in leisure settings. In this system, each standard frame is fabricated in strong mild steel section and powder coated in a light grey finish making them suitable for use in wet or dry changing rooms. Action benches are manufactured with waterproof Compact Grade Laminate in plank or slat formats, each with smooth edges and available in a wide range of sporting colours. When it comes to lockers, Petal’s Action system has been further refined, with Action 2 lockers proving a more robust solution. With their aluminium bodies and 12mm CGL doors, Action 2 lockers are ideal the withstand the damp conditions of a changing room environment.

Aesthetics

Faced with a restriction on choice of materials for a leisure setting, designers may be concerned that aesthetics may suffer as a result. However, we can reassure you that a premium result is still very much achievable. Take Grange Paddocks as a prime example. This high-end health & fitness venue had a premium design brief and Petal worked with the designers closely to ensure their vision was met and exceeded, all whilst ensuring performance remained a priority. In this case the addition of bespoke solid surface bench seating provided a stand-out feature creating a luxury finish and asserting the overarching aim of the facility as a place of retreat for wellness and positivity.

Capability without Compromise

There is no doubt that design for leisure settings presents more of a challenge than a cool, dry environment. Although admittedly this restricts material choices, it need not impact the aesthetics of a project. At Petal, our many years of experience in providing cubicle and washroom systems means we’re adept to advise and support your design vision and ensure the specification of a set of systems that will both perform robustly and achieve the required aesthetic.

Should you require more information or advice on your next washroom project, don’t hesitate to contact our team who will gladly assist:

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