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TEAM SPIRIT
Powering through an extensive reno in Chinatown, Ply Architecture transforms a wrecked storefront into the antithesis of the typical egocentric gym. Written by NESSA PULLMAN : Photographed by ANDREW LATREILLE
ABOVE: “This place isn’t just about slimming down—
people tell me they come for the positive energy and the camaraderie,” says Keighty Gallagher, owner of Tight Club Athletics, which opened in Vancouver late last year. The house-shaped frame over the entry desk is a playful reference to the club’s former home in Gallagher’s backyard garage.
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graymag . com
VANCOUVER PERSONAL TRAINER Keighty Gallagher started Tight Club Athletics four years ago, holding drop-in fitness classes in a converted garage in her own Strathcona backyard. Hers was a space for like-minded active adults, and it broke away from business-as-usual gyms. “None of our classes involved looking at yourself in a mirror,” explains Gallagher. “We turned away from the self-centric gym idea and toward building a sports team–like environment.” Word of Gallagher’s club spread quickly, and by 2015, class sizes had outgrown the old space. It was time to move, but “it was crucial to me to maintain the welcoming vibe,” says Gallagher. »