In Pictures: Power10 Fitness by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design
For the first dedicated rowing studio in Toronto, Dubbeldam Architecture + Design was tasked to create an immersive interior that would motivate patrons to push themselves to their physical limits. The design brief called for a sleek, sexy, and raw interior bursting with the kind of intense energy associated with the rowing term “power 10” when a crew puts all its strength into 10 consecutive strokes that can make or break a win or a workout.
To capture this kind of high-turbo energy, Dubbeldam Architecture + Design devised a fully immersive experiential interior to boost adrenalin and block out distractions that dilute performance. The focus of the raw, industrial-like interior is the rowing studio, fitted out with state-of-the-art Technogym rowing machines and dynamic colour-changing LED lighting on the charcoal-grey walls and ceilings. The large X-shaped programmable light fixtures pulsate in rhythm with the music, adding to the workout’s intensity. “The repeated X-shape not only serves as a graphic reminder for rowers to push toward that 10-stroke goal during workouts but is also a nod to the Roman numeral 10 and the iconic symbol of two crossed sculling oars,” says Principal Heather Dubbeldam.
The unvarnished aesthetic continues into a second workout area fully equipped with high-performance treadmills, free weights, kettlebells, and TRX training. The X-shaped lights are repeated here, suspended from the exposed ceiling and serving as a visual bridge to the rowing studio. Connecting the two workout areas and the change rooms is a long corridor with a 3-foot high, three-dimensional POWER10 logo in a 25-foot-long opening in the wall that runs behind the reception area, providing a powerful visual connection between the spaces. Patrons catch glimpses of other gym-goers in adjacent areas through openings between each of the letters, creating visual intrigue.
Throughout the studio spaces, areas of exposed concrete walls and mechanical systems lend to the raw industrial ethos. Strategically positioned angular-shaped acoustic panels on the walls and ceilings attenuate reverberation with an interplay of soft surfaces.
By contrast, the lounge area and change rooms are notably calmer, featuring natural wood finishes, terrazzo tiles, and colour-blocked walls in ‘power gold’. In the lounge, Normann Copenhagen bell pendants cast a warm light over custom-built white oak benches. The multipurpose reception desk in matching white oak features an integrated cooler with a display window to entice members to hydrate. Curated furniture pieces by Muuto provide a casual space for patrons to relax, refuel and recharge at the end of a challenging workout.
Photo credit: Riley Snelling
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A four-bedroom home in midtown Toronto designed by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, Garden Circle House is a response to the client’s desire for a sustainable home inspired by nature, connected to the outdoors and awash in daylight.
The house is imbued with wellness features, including a palette of natural materials, lush landscaping, and water features that offer both visual and auditory effects to enhance a sense of calmness. It also uses spatial strategies to maximise natural light and to visually connect to the outdoors through ample fenestration and elevated vantage points. Upon entry into the house, a direct view to the backyard lap pool and landscaping is visible through a tall, narrow window on-axis.
Looking back toward the front entry, a double-height space dramatically showcases the home’s dynamic spatial qualities, enhanced by the light that pours in from the tall windows and the abstracted shadows cast by the triangular light fixtures overhead. Views are primarily oriented to the rear yard, with access through wall-to-wall sliding doors in the kitchen. A hot tub built into the hard-wearing Cumaru outdoor decking and firepit on the small patio transforms the backyard into a relaxing oasis for three out of four seasons.
Inspired by the client’s love for Prairie Style architecture, the exterior of the house incorporates horizontal planes and overhangs, and an earthy, natural material palette of brick, wood, and stone. Buff and grey-toned brick convey a sense of solidity while Western red cedar boards and mahogany-framed windows complement the warmth of wood. Green roofs are integrated into each of the overlapping roof planes on the front and back of the house, while their soffits are detailed with Brazilian massaranduba. Integral to the front of the house is the pear tree that was retained on-site; located in front of the large dining-room window, its foliage casts an animated play of shadow and light year-round, while the scent of blossoms in spring and ripe fruit in autumn wafts through the open window.
Complementing the home’s biophilic design strategy is the prioritization of sustainability approaches and systems such as radiant in-floor heating, efficient high-velocity cooling, thermally superior wall assemblies, operable windows and skylights for natural ventilation and daylighting, LED light fixtures, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and durable, hard-wearing and low-VOC materials.
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