Republic Bank YMCA

Republic Bank YMCA was more than 10 years in planning and was opened to serve the economically disadvantaged west end as part of the overall revitalization of downtown Louisville. This 77,000 SF state-of-the-art facility offers healthy living programs, youth sports, child care, Tech Center with computer lab to prepare area teens for tech-reliant jobs, a Republic Bank branch offering free finance classes, Norton Health Clinic, a rehab facility, a counseling center offering free programs on leadership and character development, community meeting spaces and a food pantry for a unique Community Integrated Health approach. Each area had specific flooring requirements with the condition that they blend aesthetically with the general design. This would be a major challenge for such a large, multifunctional building. Durability, flexibility and ease of maintenance were critical factors in flooring selection. The same color pallet and design layout of vinyl plank used in heavy traffic areas within the YMCA public spaces were carried into the health clinic and branch bank to tie them into the overall scheme. The unique pattern and texture of carpet tile used in the cardio area was also pulled into the branch bank to create a seamless pallet. Incorporating the YMCA blue within the vinyl plank, the carpet tile accents in the Teen Tech Center, the rubber flooring used on the running track as well as the speckled accent within the black sports floor in the weight lifting area was a primary focus in product selection. Expansive connecting corridors were aesthetically broken up with color and pattern to create a welcoming environment as you moved from the lobby or cardio area to meeting areas, locker rooms and the in-door pool. The 2nd floor running track which looks out over the cardio area proved particularly challenging from an installation perspective since lane markings had to be painted on with precise curved measurements. An expansive lobby originally designed to be poured epoxy was changed to grey vinyl tile to accommodate high RH levels and still maintain the same concrete appearance. Taking advantage of the lobby flooring change to vinyl tile allowed for the addition of 2 YMCA logo’s composed of coordinating vinyl plank colors to further brand this environment.