London-based interior architecture & design studio Shed, together with Saudi Arabia’s Armah Sports Company, have conceived a new standard of ‘smart gym club’ in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, B_FIT.
Opening its first site in Jeddah, this is the first of many B_FIT gyms planned in KSA and nearby GCC territories bringing a premium yet accessible smart gym experience to the masses using artificial intelligence, virtual reality, Amazon Alexa and IoT innovations.
Enhanced by the latest smart cardio and strength technology, B_FIT breaks the mould by offering all the benefits of a big box gym without falling on gym stereotypes. In the 40,000sq ft facility, the spirit of movement is captured with an egalitarian approach taking inspiration from the Bauhaus, mid-century modernism, combined with the offbeat individualism typically found in popular athleisure and sports lux fashion brands. The outcome is an inspirational and motivational space that seamlessly pulls gym members through zones from the gym floor, to cardio, to the 25m swimming pool, as well as a co-working space with smoothie bar and the indoor running track.
Shed conceived the overarching brand position, business identity, architecture, and interior for B_FIT, delivering a progressive take for a client with innovation at the heart of the concept. This technology-fuelled gym playground is a good example of design providing the perfect backdrop to new technology innovations that heighten fitness performance. Incorporating a touchless facial recognition system for entry and virtual reality and augmented reality offerings in the Innovation Lab, gym members can explore new ways to be active and try out simple fitness gamification. B_FIT is the world’s first health club that utilises Amazon’s Alexa, where members can book classes and review trainers’ schedules and bios through this popular virtual assistant technology.
