Corporate gym: floor space, cost per sqm, regulations and ROI. The Kytom guide for HR and workplace directors who want a fitness space that is genuinely used.
"We want a fitness room"
A poorly sized gym empties within 6 months. With 80 sqm badly thought out, the usage ratio drops below 8%, meaning an investment cost of 60,000 to 120,000 euros excl. tax that is never amortised. On top of this come the annual maintenance of the machines (1,500 to 3,000 euros) and the energy for specific ventilation, often left out of the initial budget.
Without a suitable technical floor, dynamic loads (dumbbells, jumps) crack the floors and generate acoustic nuisance measured above 65 dB for neighbouring floors. Field feedback confirms that 40% of corporate sports accidents stem from non-compliant equipment or an unsuitable floor, with the employer's civil liability directly engaged.
A gym in a public-access building (ERP) requires enhanced ventilation of 30 m3/h per occupant, separate changing rooms and a first-aid kit. The absence of a favourable opinion from the fire safety authority (SDIS) blocks the opening. The tertiary decree now includes these surfaces in the overall energy calculation.
Kytom treats the fitness room as a technical space in its own right, not as a decorative room. Our teams (present in 11 offices across France and Spain) first frame the actual usage: how many daily slots, what type of practice (light cardio, weight training, group classes), what target attendance over 12 months. We bring in a technical design office for the structure (admissible load >= 500 kg/sqm), the acoustics (target < 45 dB transmitted), ventilation and changing rooms. Furniture is selected for durability (5 to 10-year warranties) and maintainability. Across more than 1,200 projects delivered since 2006, we have measured that a room designed to this level of requirement reaches a 65% usage rate at 18 months, compared with 20% for improvised installations.
Audit of headcount, intention survey, analysis of the building structure and networks. Deliverable: a framing note with target floor space (generally 60 to 150 sqm), simultaneous capacity, identified technical constraints and an envelope budget validated by the real estate department.
Layout plans incorporating a cardio zone, a functional zone, changing rooms with showers and storage. Costed acoustic and ventilation studies. Equipment selection (3 to 6 machines for 80 sqm) with technical data sheets. Deliverable: a detailed design dossier validated in the steering committee with HR and the workplace director.
Coordination of the work packages (cushioning floor, partitions, changing-room plumbing, HVAC, lighting, secured mirrors). Project management on an occupied site with phasing outside working hours if necessary. Average construction time: 6 to 10 weeks depending on scope. Deliverable: a compliant, handed-over room.
Commissioning with a usage protocol, safety signage, an equipment maintenance contract and an internal communication plan. Attendance measurement over 6 months to fine-tune (slots, partner group classes). Deliverable: a usage dashboard provided to HR.
"We wanted a real gym, not a cupboard with two bikes. Kytom dared to tell us that our initial floor space assumption was undersized. Well spotted: the gym is running at full capacity."
Allow 60 sqm for cardio use by 3 to 4 people at once, 100 to 150 sqm to include a functional zone and group classes. Below 50 sqm, the usage rate quickly falls below 15%.
Yes, as soon as the practice exceeds 30 intense minutes. Regulations require separate changing rooms for men and women, as well as at least one shower per 8 simultaneous users, with hot water and dedicated ventilation.
A multilayer sports floor of 20 to 40 mm (densified recycled rubber) absorbs impacts and limits acoustic transmission to less than 45 dB. Allow 80 to 140 euros excl. tax/sqm installed, with an 8 to 10-year warranty depending on the manufacturer.
Put in place a signed set of rules, a tracked access badge, supervised time slots and an annual medical certificate. Employer liability remains engaged: provide an AED, a first-aid kit and posted safety instructions.
Yes, the CSE can co-fund equipment and a coaching subscription. On the employer side, the QWL budget and certain URSSAF schemes (corporate sport exempt up to 5% of the PMSS per employee) reduce the recurring annual operating cost.
Three levers measured across our projects: animated slots (group classes twice a week), regular internal communication and a quarterly usage barometer. Without activities, the usage rate drops to 18% at one year, compared with 60% with active programming.