Focus On Function

Universal locker rooms evolve to offer more utility, accessibility, and privacy

By Jefferey Spivey

Much about fitness has changed over the last few years, including the advent of virtual classes and the meteoric rise of pickleball. However, in gym facilities across the country, one of the more noticeable changes has little to do with exercise.

Bloomington-Normal YMCA

“Quite honestly, locker rooms are maybe used less than ever. At least that's what we're hearing from some of the operators,” says Jason Ringdahl, Senior Principal at Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture, a firm that primarily specializes in recreation and community centers.

Ringdahl noticed the trend during the pandemic, when gymgoers were unsure about spending prolonged periods in public spaces. But since that time, locker rooms have become more universal, taking on an increasingly utilitarian function as rooms to simply store belongings while working out. During a recent tour of existing facilities in Texas, Ringdahl observed that patrons were “coming more with a little gym bag or just ready to play ball,” as opposed to changing, showering, or grooming in the space.

While these needs may change by season—during winter, for example, visitors need more locker space for coats and clothing layers—by and large, locker rooms now serve a functional purpose. This calls for a more functional design.

During the pandemic, Ringdahl says, certain areas of restrooms and locker rooms were sectioned off to discourage gathering. The goal now is to build in flexibility, where a locker room can be adjusted to suit specific activities or facility needs. Take for instance a recreation center that hosts swimming competitions. Regulations often dictate that competitive swimmers and leisure swimmers be kept separate. In response, some locker rooms are being built with adjustable layouts.

“We've introduced a combination, a mixture of it,” Ringdahl says. “We have women's locker rooms, men's locker rooms. They're split down the middle. One side is rec, one side is competition. But yet we have, say, a large garage door or garage door opening that we can roll up, and you can expand it and you can use it for both.”

That means the entire space can be used for larger competitions or for busier leisure periods during high-traffic times. Conversely, portions can remain closed on slow days.

Ringdahl also shared that smaller lockers are being incorporated at various touchpoints throughout a facility, such as half-lockers, quarter-lockers, and wallet-lockers, where patrons can store items like smartphones and small bags.

Typically, discussions of universal locker rooms shift toward gender, concerning single spaces used by all patrons, instead of separate spaces devoted to men and women. What Ringdahl describes, however, is more of a focus on universal purpose. Locker rooms aren’t only serving all patrons but also all functions.

Inclusive In Every Way

Though function has taken centerstage, there’s also a push for more inclusive locker rooms. This includes universal restrooms for spectators, built into functional designs, where locker rooms may be divided to accommodate competitors, and family changing rooms.

“A couple decades ago, a lot of family locker rooms were created based on community need, families wanting one space to come in together, like the dads, the daughter, all those things,” says Karen Friedman, Director, Strategy & Quality Practices—Mental Health for YMCA of the USA. Previously, she oversaw access and ability.

This was a primary factor in the design of many Y and non-Y facilities, like the Eaton Area Community Center in Colorado. Guest Services & Facility Rentals Coordinator Jess Jenson says that, after researching best practices at other facilities, the center’s original board of directors aimed to offer amenities that made the facility more inclusive. The studies led them to build seven family changing rooms, complete with features like private bathrooms and wheelchair-accessible showers.

But, in the years since the push for family spaces, focus has turned to other needs. Over time, Friedman says that different Y facilities began exploring truly universal locker rooms to accommodate patrons with disabilities and elderly patrons. Currently, there’s a continued shift to meet the needs of younger generations who want additional privacy.

In general, Friedman says facility personnel are asking, “How do we create an accessible space? It’s really community-driven.”

Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture

She points to the newly opened YMCA in Bloomington-Normal, Ill. Part of a partnership with Easterseals and OSF Healthcare, the center was designed with accessibility in mind and features universal locker rooms with private changing areas. Older Y facilities, like those constructed from cinderblock cement, have had to be more creative in adapting to universal needs, forgoing renovations and instead repurposing or relabeling spaces as appropriate. 

In addition to local community needs, Friedman also points to newer ADA requirements as motivation to modernize locker rooms. She says the projects at various Y locations represent “the Y recognizing [that] good access is good business. 

This is even the case beyond YMCAs, at city-owned centers like the Michigan-based Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, operated by the Washtenaw Parks & Recreation Commission. Diane E. Carr, the center’s Recreation Operations Superintendent, says the universal locker room has long been used to ensure ADA-compliance and -accessibility for all visitors. However, as generational shifts occur, the space’s purpose has shifted, too.

“Because we only have male and female locker room space on our lower level,” Carr says, “we also provide access to the universal locker room for anyone who prefers the more private space for whatever reason.”

She says the center plans to add more universal locker rooms during a capital-improvement phase in the next five years. The additional updates will provide more space and safety for families, offer more privacy for patrons who need it, further improve wheelchair accessibility, and keep children out of adult locker rooms.

Friedma echoes the latter point, stating that child safety is both impacting locker-room design and improving because of it. As more rooms become universal, Ys are working to ensure members have the utmost privacy, and that guidelines are modernized, too, to ensure safe and appropriate interactions in these spaces. 

Among the differences that longtime Y members will see in universal locker rooms, Friedman points to individual stalls with doors and any combination of a changing space, a shower, and a restroom. Rooms may also include changing beds or diaper-changing stations. Overall, there may be fewer lockers than in years past, with the changing stalls taking up the square footage instead, which aligns with the trend of more functional locker rooms to suit visitors’ needs.

Of these increasingly common gender-neutral spaces, Ringdahl says they’re “more welcoming,” though some clients are hesitant to use the term “gender-neutral” because of its underlying political connotations. 

Semantics haven’t been a major issue, however. What have proven difficult for recreation-center operators in their embrace of universal spaces are longstanding building codes. 

Universal Pros And Cons

“The building officials, they make it very challenging to do it,” Ringdahl says about constructing universal locker rooms. Existing codes, including the International Building Code used by many firms and builders, still call for separate spaces for men and women, reflecting the times in which they were written. Smaller jurisdictions are often willing to test universal concepts, but larger jurisdictions are less open. This has led to compromise, where only certain elements are co-ed. “We have men's water closets in one room and urinals, and then in another room we have the women's water closets. And then in the central area between the two, it's [a] shared common area with vanities.”

Ringdahl says clients have enjoyed the results, not only with increased functionality, but also with less vandalism and loitering. Because more people are using the space, there’s less opportunity for policy violations. Centers can also utilize cleaning staff differently since workers of any gender can clean universal spaces. 

One downside is that private restrooms cost more. This can be attributed to using enclosed spaces versus toilet partitions because installing, finishing, and framing drywall requires more resources. There are also more floor drains, more lighting fixtures, and more power controls.

Bloomington-Normal YMCA

“It does take more effort and more coordination in terms of all the systems associated with going to universal restrooms and locker rooms,” Ringdahl says. But he predicts the investment could pay off by reducing total square footage or increasing circulation within the facility.

Ultimately, advantages and disadvantages will be based on individual design choices and needs. But there are a few best practices that are—no pun intended—universal. For these spaces to work well, Ringdahl says there are certain non-negotiable components. Those include clear signage, so patrons understand which areas are universal and which aren’t; great visibility, with lower-height lockers that enable patrons to see where universal spaces are located; and private showers. These showers may include deck-mounted showers or pedestal-operated ones close to pools, similar to those one finds near a beach.

Friedman also stresses the importance of understanding building codes and laws, working with knowledgeable partners, exploring what comparable facilities are doing, and connecting with the community to understand their needs and offer transparency around facility updates.

Lastly, especially regarding facilities frequented by older patrons, she warns that some members may not immediately be open to change.

“How do we ensure that we are prepared to have conversations to talk about why we’re doing this?” Friedman says. “When you see a shift or a change in anything, people may want to know why. We’re shifting and evolving, society changes. So, really connecting the community in any kind of changes and shifts is really critical.”

Jefferey Spivey is a journalist and author based in Urbandale, Iowa. Reach him at jeffereyspivey@gmail.com.