With resident-exclusive fitness and wellbeing facilities a way of making a development stand out in the crowd, Rob Clarke’s role may be an unusual one but it plays a crucial part in ensuring the developer provides exactly the right fittings, equipment and layout to suit its new homes scheme.
As gym and spa consultant at motive8, market leaders in the design, supply, installation, maintenance and management of residential gym and spa facilities. With 15 years’ experience in the industry, Rob has many roles within the company including gym and spa business development, health and safety advisory, and operations consultancy. Here, he talks us through a typical day in the motive8 office:
6.00am: Wake up and fuel my morning with a nice breakfast. It’s a good 20-minute walk to the station where I commute into town for an 8.00am site meeting.
8.00am: My meeting with a property management company is based at one of their developments which has both swimming and gym facilities. The company has only recently added pools to its portfolio, so our main aim is to ensure they are being maintained and operated correctly. The client is keen to learn best practice and it’s a great way for us to build a rapport and discuss how they can efficiently, effectively and safely manage and maintain the facilities for residents.
9.00am: I’m jumping back on the train going into central London for another client visit, where we are currently fitting a corporate gym for its staff. I catch up with the construction team as they are running cables into the floor boxes. While on-site I take the opportunity to meet with the company’s HR and facilities team to discuss the wellbeing services we will be delivering once the gym is complete. It’s important that everyone is kept up-to-date throughout the whole process so that everyone is knowledgeable and knows what to expect once the opening draws closer.
11.00am: Time for a quick catch up with a Build to Rent client that we’ve recently installed a couple of gyms for. We discuss their current projects and future plans and also the upcoming trends that we’re starting to see in the health and leisure sector, which is being driven by demand for a different style of workout and fitness regime.
1.00pm: I am back in the office now after picking up a jacket potato for lunch, I eat at my desk while catching up on the mornings events in the office. Fortunately, I missed a delivery of dumbbells for a few upcoming installs – I’ve done enough exercise going to and from my meetings this morning! Luckily, we’re not short on muscles in the motive8 office!
1.30pm: I’ve got an exciting call scheduled with a new client who has selected us to deliver a gym and spa in their new self-build home. The couple are keen triathletes so a gym is high on their agenda within their new home, and they know exactly what they want, which is great! I arrange a meeting for the following week to go and see the house and meet them to discuss their requirements in more detail.
2.00pm: We hold weekly meetings to catch up with the design and installation team. With multiple projects going on at one time, it’s important to ensure that everyone is up to speed with everything that we are working on, as well as checking everything is on schedule and there are no issues we need to deal with.
3.00pm: I spend the next couple of hours doing a gym equipment layout for what I can only describe as the largest residential gym we have seen. With a development of 2,500 units, it is a gym which will rival a Virgin Active or David Lloyd, but at a fraction of the cost – a very exciting project.
5.00pm: I spend the last hour of the day writing up a report from this morning’s meeting with the property management company, and underlining the key safety points as well as a maintenance guide for the swimming pool. It’s encouraging that this managing agent has been proactive and is seeking our advice on the proper health and safety procedures.
6.00pm: Where has the time gone?! I quickly pack up and rush off to catch the train home. I’m thinking about what to make for dinner and I’m always keen to make a big enough portion to roll over into tomorrow’s lunch!
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