When girl-boss Beth Bedingfield set out to open another Transform Gym location in Boulder, CO, to host the only Lagree/ Versa workout classes available in the country at the time, she knew she needed something special to give her group-training routines the flair they deserved. Using low-impact Versa Climber machines to achieve intense, calorie-burning results, Bedingfield and other instructors lead groups of guests through synchronized actions that recreate the natural movements of the human body such as climbing, crawling, walking and running. The twist? Guests don’t even know how arduous the workout is because they are having too much fun to notice. With the help of club-like illumination from Prizm by American Lighting and pulsating dance beats, Transform transcends the traditional look and feel of the boring, old gym to reach new heights as a stylized, boutique-studio experience.
“At the time I opened my other location, I couldn’t find a lighting company that understood my vision and was able to bring it to life for me,” explained Bedingfield. “I’ve always wanted experiential lighting in my space. I had seen similar things during my time in Los Angeles and knew the impact the right lighting could have in adding to the experience of the class and creating more of a party-like atmosphere…Fortunately, I have a team now that understands my vision and what I am trying to execute.”
Conversations with Prizm and the rest of the Transform team began in 2023 and work was completed in early 2024. “We were brought in to help materialize the possibilities available to the project through the construction team, specification team and owner,” said Product Analyst for American Lighting Jordan D. Ferree. “They provided the general drawings and we provided the lighting and controls along with the general working bill of materials, detailed installation drawings and programming.”
To create a high-energy space, keep lighting efficient and meet codes like the 2020 National Electric Code and the 2020 City of Boulder Energy Conservation Code (and more), solutions such as DMX512 digital pixel RGBW (3000K) tape lighting by Prizm and LPC controllers by Pharos Architectural Controls were selected. Forty runs of the LED tape housed in black, extruded-aluminum channels that easily snap in to custom designs and blend into the space are suspended from the ceiling in a web-like pattern above the workout studio. Controls integrated into a custom AV system oversee different programs that include general ambient white light, static color scenes as well as dynamic effects and color changes that mimic the beats per minute of various tempos. “Dancing” immersive effects can be changed “at the touch of a button from the instructor’s tablet,” said Feree. “[The] instructor [can] control the entire audio-visual sensory experience without direct, digital audio integration.” The high-tech tools paired with the workoutguides’ amped-up routines come together to form the atmosphere of an enticing disco-rave hotspot that even the average couch-potato couldn’t resist. “This was my dream,” said Bedingfield. “It helps tie the entire experience together for the ultimate workout.”
Given the success of the studio and popularity of the invigorating workouts across social media platforms, Ferree noted, “This could lead to future gyms with increasing levels of experiential lighting. If you haven’t seen or experienced a class with Beth, you’re missing everything. It can only be described as an experience you won’t forget.”
So, lighting designers, are you ready to level up, go hard, get ripped, rock and roll, pump up the jam, dig deep—and transform—how you might light your next design project?
THE DESIGNERS | Lighting for the project was completed by Prizm by American Lighting in collaboration with controls by Pharos; AV integrator Precision AV; distributor Urban Lights; electrician/ installer EcoPro Electric, LLC and general contractor Ace Commercial Construction, LLC.