Waltham, MA Vantage Builders, Inc. has completed a 5,500 s/f renovation project for the YMCA of Greater Boston at its Waltham facility. The project involved transforming the existing men’s and women’s locker rooms into a modern family locker room area, setting a new standard for YMCA facilities.

Notably, the entire project was completed while the YMCA remained open, ensuring no downtime for the over 10,000 members who are part of the Waltham YMCA. The team had to maintain strict cleanliness and noise protocols and schedule all work – from prep and site access to material shipments and concrete pours – with the YMCA staff.

Vantage Builders was hired by Scalora Consulting Group for the project, which also included Dennis J. Swart Architecture (DJSA) and Building Engineering Resources. Because the project was the first of its kind in Greater Boston, and intended to set a standard for future facilities, the team worked closely and continually with the YMCA to refine the design to ensure that it could be replicated efficiently and effectively.

The new family locker room area is bright and welcoming, with new lighting and floor to ceiling tile throughout. The space consists of 10 shower pods, two rinse showers in the pool area, and four toilet pods. Each of the three ADA handicap restrooms feature a sink, shower, and toilet. The team also expanded the YMCA’s training and physical therapy room, added a break room for YMCA staff, and built new storage space, which is always needed at the busy building.

The project included significant demo and underground plumbing work. The team removed the existing men’s and women’s locker rooms, as well as the pre-existing underground plumbing and most of its slab, work that was made more difficult due to the significant amount of large rocks/small boulders that were encountered. New underground plumbing was installed to accommodate the design, with its different layout and quantity of facilities. A new concrete slab was poured over the top of the building and utilizing an existing roof hatch – again, while the YMCA remained fully open.

“We are continually looking for ways to enhance the YMCA experience for our valued members,” said Helio Rosa, vice president of real estate and facilities for YMCA of Greater Boston. “Our new family locker room facilities offer complete privacy and will ensure a pleasant visit for the many seniors, families and individuals who rely on the Y for their health and wellness. We appreciate the Vantage Builders’ team’s efforts in bringing this new design to life.”

“We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to work with the YMCA, which is one of the cornerstones of the Waltham community,” said John Connor, partner, Vantage Builders. “Ensuring that the facility was available to its many members during construction was critical. It’s also gratifying to know that the work we did will be replicated at other facilities in the area.”