Problem:

MARTINA: Ugh, don´t you just hate training in gyms? All the noise, the lack of light, the people watching.

LEE: Yeah, when I go to gyms I just feel traped, instead of relaxing, I become super anxious.

THERESE: Tell me about it, thats why I just go running outside.

ISHWAR: I see gyms and think hell na.

Problem:

ISHWAR: Training gyms can be a hassle. You know it, we know it. We´ve all been there.

Problem + Storytelling

MARTINA: You know who also has been there? My aunt Vivian.

She’s about 54 years old, and she loooooves going to her morning yoga classes. The thing is, the gym near her is full of gym bros which she has to walk through in order to get to her class.

Vivian just wants to connect with herself, and with nature… and she also wants a good gym that offers her good classes, and the occasional weight lifting. She feels like her long work days just get longer by going to gyms. So what does she do? She doesn´t train. And she just becomes more disconnected, more stressed.

But that’s when my cousin Peter, who is now recovering his knee from a rugby injury, told her she should check out st.air. This gym, he said, was intriguingly different from any other.

Promise:

LEE: He promised it was the perfect space to reconnect with the self and find a mind-body balance. The holistic gym, he said, is a stairway to be in touch with nature while having all the necessary amenities to train.

Solution// Storytelling:

THERESE: Vivian decided to take the chance. Afterall, she trusted her nephew´s opinion and what pushed her even more was the perfect location; the peaceful park near her home, in Palo Alto.

Oh! What a sight! A platform in the middle of the park that looked green, fresh, zen.

She saw it and immediately saw a haven, a place to relax, away from the eyes of other gym goers. This was her space.

An open gym which is segmented by wooden dividers. In the front, there is an open space that can be divided if needed into smaller rooms with roller panes made out of recycled wood.This space is separated from the workout area with insulation, ensuring a serene environment free from disruptive noises.

At the back, numerous machines face outward, creating a space where no one looks at or judges each other. A mirrored back wall reflects the beauty of nature, complemented by moss insulation that enhances the zen atmosphere and absorbs sound. You feel outdoors, but you’re actually indoors!

MARTINA:

The gym also optimizes nature: it is sustainable, which is so important for an eco-conscious Vivian. The open walls provide natural ventilation, the roof maximizes solar light coming through and insulates from heat with reused materials. For days with extreme weather, there is a hybrid solar panel and human energy system, which activates a heating or cooling system and also serves for lighting at night. Also, the columns have rolled in Shoji doors that open to the sides and the front door has pull-down panels, giving the possibility to close the gym.

Inspired by Japanese zen culture, Vivian can see how stair is more than a gym, it's a way of hollistically approaching her identity, and improving her body and mind, staying in contact with nature.

Vivian decided to start going to stair.

Opportunity:

LEE: Vivian also saw how this gym could be replicated in other places, she actually became a stair fan and started preaching to her investor friends: it was so modular, it is scalable to be either bigger or smaller, as well as adapting to different gymnasium needs.

Competitive Advantage, staying in the gym:

ISHWAR: Time went by and Vivian fell more in love with Stair. She felt surrounded by nature and a very special community. This gym was both private and community building: Vivian met so many people like her, so many athletes in search of recovery, so many people willing to improve their body hollistically. She learnt from them and respected them.

She had the opportunity to share moments with them in the buzzling cafe across from the weightlifting zone as well as more relaxing moments in the zen room across from the gyms main area. Stair became a social spot where she felt comfortable with herself, not judged and relaxed.

During her busy day sitting at the office, Vivian would be motivated for her gym in the park.

Promise:

ISHWAR: Vivian really knows what she´s doing. I think I want to go to that gym too, I just can see my self breathing in the fresh air, training unobserved and meeting so many people that care so much about their well being.

I think it will help me stay focused and connected.

Ask:

Therese:

Imagine yourself in nature, relaxed and holistically trained.

Why don´t you come with us?

Martina: Vivian is calling, waiting for us at st.air.