Green Gym Toes Company Line
Fitness Business News
December 2007 

By Brian Davidson, Managing Editor

NEW YORK - The Hearst Corp. says its 46-story office tower is the city's gold standard for being green.

And its chic fitness center, known as "theClub," falls right in line.

Designed and managed by Plus One Health Management, theClub features floors and lockers made of recycled materials. It uses cleaning products that are Green Seal certified, and 85 percent of its equipment is self-powered.

Encased in glass, it sits greenhouse-like, 14 stories high.

"Most corporate fitness centers are tucked away in the basement," said Brian Schwagerl, Hearst's senior manager of facilities. "That didn't make much sense to us."

Visibility is a high priority at the year-old Hearst Tower, whose triangular frames of steel and glass, besides creating an eye-catching pattern, eliminated the need for approximately 2,000 tons of steel. Of the steel that was used, 90 percent is made from recycled materials.

TheClub has floor-to-ceiling windows, coated in a special gloss to maximize natural light, while sensors inside control how much artificial light is needed.

Media giant Hearst spent an extra 2.5 percent in costs to bring the facility up to LEED certification standards, according to Tom Maraday, senior vice president of Plus One.

The energy efficient design, Maraday noted, will bring long-term cost savings.

Said Schwagerl, "We just know that this is the right thing to do."

More companies are beginning to see the benefits of going green, Maraday said

"There's a recruiting component to it," he said. "It helps people feel good about working for a company. Companies want to be associated with being green. A green atmosphere lends itself to a healthy workspace."

If theClub is any indication, the 2,000 Hearst employees who work in the $500 million tower are more than satisfied with their workout space.

"Our numbers are off the charts in terms of attendance, membership and retention," Schwagerl said. "We're producing much happier employees."

Hearst is the first Plus One client to partake in the company's new ECOfitness campaign, which officially launched last month. Plus One hopes that ECOfitness will encourage companies to bring a green approach to their fitness centers and wellness programs. Maraday said a handful of clients have already signed on.

"Right now we're involved in at least a half-dozen ongoing projects that have green aspects to them," he said. "We've done a nice job attracting new business through the green initiative."