Exercise With a View
Villasport Athletic Club & Spa
Colorado Springs, Colo.
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hen it comes to stunning backdrops, few facilities can match the VillaSport Athletic Club & Spa in Colorado Springs.
While the 88,000-square-foot club is built in the midst of a suburban residential area, the views from within the facility open to the sloped terrain, the Front Range and Pikes Peak as the centerpiece. Carefully selected building materials including natural stacked stone and light-colored stucco provide a fresh contrast to the dramatic mountainous backdrop, newly landscaped grounds and local vegetation.
Architects take pride in the fact that every corner of the club was designed to stimulate members' senses, including a strong sense of effortless wayfinding that allows visitors to move from one area to another without having to think about where they are heading. The club's soaring windows to the west make the most of the site's abundance of natural light, pouring sunshine into the interior spaces on both levels and showcasing the majestic views of Colorado's Rocky Mountains.
"Let's face it, everything around (Colorado Springs) has a good view, but this site is far enough back that you really get a great view," said Doni H. Visani, project architect from Ohlson Lavoie Collaborative. "That's one of the reasons we wanted to locate the building on that site. It sits on a plateau overlooking some houses and the valley."
Visitors are awed by the openness of the club and its two-story atrium, which is visible from the foyer and café. The lobby and reception area boasts lounge spaces where members can socialize. It also features a retail shop and a day spa entrance that is flanked on either side by the men's and women's locker rooms.
Given its suburban locale, the facility caters to its family-minded patrons with VillaKids, a safe childcare and activity center. The area offers more than 12,000 square feet of dedicated space for children of all ages. It features a separate entrance, a parents lounge, a kids' gymnasium for youth leagues, two studios for athletic and art classes, a three-story indoor climbing gym, a computer lab, a theater for movies and performances and an outdoor playground.
While kids frolic, their parents can enjoy a plethora of amenities including a fitness area with more than 100 pieces of cardio equipment. There are five group exercise studios for aerobics, dance, spinning and mind/body classes such as yoga and Pilates. A dedicated stretching balcony allows patrons to gear up and wind down amid striking views of the entire club, the outdoor aquatics center and the Front Range that borders Colorado Springs.
Aquatics also played a key role in the facility's design and lure. Swimmers can enjoy one of four pools, two indoor and four outdoor. The natatorium features a five-lane, 25-yard lap pool, as well as a warm-water therapy pool for water aerobics, family swim time and learn-to-swim activities. The huge outdoor pool includes a private adult pool, a children's zero-depth-entry pool with lots of play features, a lazy river and two waterslides, as well as a poolside cabana and snack bar.
"The environment itself is extraordinary," said Tony Maniscalco, vice president of marketing for Syufy Enterprises. "It's delightful and comfortable."
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