Opening a yoga studio is exciting, scary and most of all, filled with numerous decisions that matter. One of those decisions is how much space you need in your yoga studio. This is directly tied to the location you choose to purchase/build as well as how to lay out the floor plan. Which rooms should go where? Better yet, what types of rooms/areas does your yoga studio even need? All of this will factor into the building that you choose to rent or buy, and it all begs one big question:
What rooms are essential for a yoga studio building?
These are the areas that, provided your building has the space, should be incorporated.
The Practice Studio
Duh! What’s a yoga studio without a practice space? While this is a no-brainer, we only bring it up to discuss the amount of space you will need. Your actual yoga studio will take up the majority of the space in your facility, and its size is dictated by the number of students you have at your facility.
Your yoga studio will want to leave about 21.5 sq. ft. per student. This accounts for two 2m x 1m yoga tiles (39.375″ x 78.75″). This is not a hard line, and students can and will squeeze into smaller spaces if they need to, especially in facilities located in major cities, where spaces are often cramped.
You can use the 21.5 sq. ft. rule as a guide for how large your classes will be. Classes of 10 students will take up 215 sq. ft., classes of 20 will need 430 sq. ft. and classes of 30 will need 645 sq. ft. Keep in mind that additional square footage will be needed for the instructor to stand up front. Some larger studios opt for a small lifted stage to make the instructor more visible to students at the back.
Locker Rooms
Locker rooms are a luxury for studios, as they take up a lot of space and are not entirely necessary. At the very least, you want to have one bathroom in your facility for students and staff to use to change (or for emergencies). If you have the space, lockers rooms with showers, storage and changing areas are a nice luxury to offer your students, but they can often take up to 2000- 3000 sq. ft. of total (about 1000-1500 each for a men’s and women’s) space.
Storage and Office Space
When looking for a space for your facility, storage is often a great thing to keep in mind. An extra closet here and there will give you space to store extra mats, yoga blocks, towels and everything else your facility needs.
Why is office space grouped with storage? That’s because we often see smaller studios using closets as an office! Keep in mind that your facility is a business, and unless you want to store everything related to your business somewhere in your home, it’s best to carve out a place in your studio for a small office space (even if it’s in a walk in closet!).
Lobby and Reception
Even if it’s small, it’s best to have a lobby with a reception desk at the front of your studio. Most commercial buildings have a layout that allows for this. Your lobby is great place for people to congregate and socialize before and after class. It’s also a great place to advertise and sell some merchandise. Make up a nice retail section and sitting area for your students to relax and shop in between classes.