Designing a gym for a community like Discovery Land’s Summit Club demands more than technical knowledge—it requires a deep understanding of how people live, train, and connect within a space. From the start, my objective was to create a fitness facility that would stand as a core feature of the property, integral to the daily routines and active lifestyles of its residents. My hope was for it to become a fitness facility that seamlessly integrated into the fabric of the community, encouraging daily use and supporting a lifestyle centered around health and wellness.

Discovery Land Company has long been recognized for its commitment to innovation and excellence, and the Summit Club exemplifies that standard. Founder Mike Meldman envisioned a facility that would go beyond the typical hospitality fitness center, creating an environment that reflected the community’s energy and health-conscious ethos. The result was a gym that reflected the community’s dedication to health and performance—designed with intention, built to exceed expectations, and crafted to serve its residents for years to come.

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Design Vision and Approach

From the outset, I understood the unique demands of this project. The Summit Club is not a transient hotel; it’s a private community where residents own homes and expect amenities that match, if not surpass, the quality of their personal spaces. Many of these homeowners are professional athletes or individuals who work with elite trainers, accustomed to training in high-performance environments. The standard for design, equipment, and functionality was exceptionally high.

My vision was to create a space that blended luxury with performance—a gym that felt personal yet professional, approachable yet elite. It needed to serve a wide range of users, from casual fitness enthusiasts to serious athletes, all while maintaining a cohesive flow that encouraged daily use.

The surrounding desert landscape influenced the material choices and the color palette, grounding the design in its natural environment. Unlike some of my other projects that incorporated outdoor training areas, the Summit Club gym was entirely indoors. This allowed for complete control over the interior environment, ensuring optimal lighting, climate, and flow.

The nearby championship golf course became a contextual touchpoint for the design—not in the aesthetics of the gym itself, but in understanding the lifestyle and expectations of the residents who value both leisure and peak performance in their recreational spaces.

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Layout and Equipment Selection

The gym’s layout was intentionally designed to support diverse training styles while maintaining an open and inviting flow. A central turf track runs through the heart of the space, providing a functional area for sled pushes, agility drills, and dynamic movements. This turf strip not only adds a visual anchor but also encourages movement beyond static machines and weightlifting.

When selecting equipment, I focused on high-performance, versatile tools that would meet the needs of a broad demographic. Woodway treadmills were chosen for their durability and low-impact design, while Life Fitness cardio machines offer variety and ease of use. For strength training, Hoist equipment was selected for its adaptability, allowing for both traditional lifts and functional training.

One of the defining features of this facility is the custom motion cage—a multifunctional structure that includes monkey bars, squat racks, cable machines, and integrated storage. This piece serves as a central hub for strength and agility training, adaptable to everything from circuit workouts to focused strength sessions. An expanded range of kettlebells, Olympic plates, and multiple setups for Olympic lifts further support a variety of training preferences.

The layout was designed with both high-intensity athletes and casual users in mind. Clear zoning ensures that each area—whether for cardio, strength, or functional movement—flows seamlessly, allowing users to transition between exercises without congestion or confusion.

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Balancing Luxury and Performance

Luxury in a fitness space goes beyond polished finishes or branded equipment. It’s about creating an environment that feels both inspiring and functional. Every design element in the Summit Club gym was chosen to balance aesthetic appeal with performance-driven purpose.

Lighting plays a key role in this balance. Adjustable ambient lighting allows the space to shift its mood throughout the day—bright and energizing during peak hours, more subdued and calming in the evenings. This dynamic lighting supports the natural rhythms of the users while maintaining visual consistency.

Material choices reflect both durability and elegance. Natural textures echo the surrounding desert landscape, while strategic pops of color energize the space and define specific training zones. The result is an environment that feels cohesive, modern, and alive with energy.

Wellness features extend beyond traditional fitness equipment. Saunas and cold plunges were incorporated to support muscle recovery and post-workout rejuvenation, acknowledging the holistic needs of today’s fitness enthusiasts. These elements turn the gym into more than just a place to exercise—they make it a complete wellness destination.

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Challenges and Solutions

Designing a facility for such a diverse community presented unique challenges. Balancing the needs of professional athletes with those of casual users required thoughtful zoning and careful equipment selection. Each area needed to serve a specific purpose while remaining flexible enough to accommodate different training styles.

Logistics posed another layer of complexity. With equipment sourced from multiple suppliers, coordinating deliveries and installations required precise planning to avoid delays and ensure a seamless build process. Managing these moving parts while maintaining the integrity of the design was essential.

Another challenge was designing for longevity. The gym needed to remain relevant and functional for years to come, adapting to evolving fitness trends while maintaining its core identity. This required a future-focused approach in both layout and equipment selection.

A Purpose-Built Space for Daily Use

The Summit Club gym was designed with daily use in mind—not as an occasional amenity but as a space that integrates seamlessly into residents’ lifestyles. It’s a gym where pushing sleds down the turf, lifting Olympic plates, or simply stretching in a quiet corner all feel equally natural.

What sets this facility apart is its balance of high-performance functionality and refined design. It meets the rigorous demands of serious athletes while remaining inviting and accessible to all members of the community. Every decision—from the layout to the equipment to the finishing details—was made with intention.

Reflecting on this project, what I’m most proud of is the way the space encourages consistent use. It’s not just a place to work out—it’s a space designed to inspire, challenge, and support the people who call the Summit Club home.

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