Architect Builds Connections with Character

Two words that pepper Paul Boardman's descriptions of buildings he has worked on are "character" and "connection." Boardman, an architect, was chief development officer for upscale gym company Equinox, and responsible for giving each club its individual character.

Boardman says each Equinox location was designed to look like no other place in the world. At the same time, care was taken to insure that each club connected with its neighborhood. "Each one is like a family portrait," he says. "Totally unique."

Equinox has two locations in Fairfield County, and each is designed to evoke its surroundings. The Darien club was designed with the spirit of New England in mind. It's all about the water, with a white and blue color scheme that creates a subtle connection to Long Island Sound. The Greenwich location is the newest Equinox and is in a former industrial space that has been transformed into groups of fitness studios around a spa.

The character of each club and the combination of modern, innovative materials not normally found at a gym, like the teak accents in the Mamaroneck facility, are synonymous with the Equinox experience. "It's all about high performance," Boardman says. "It's about the things that help clients get results."

Boardman undertook a totally different architectural project when he restored his own home, a mid-century modern designed by architect Frederick Frost. When Boardman acquired the Bronxville property it was being used as a housing facility by a church. "I had to strip it to its bones," he says. "I worked hard to bring out its original character."

Boardman's wife, Marie Aiello, an interior designer, helped return the house to its roots by furnishing it with European mid-century furniture. While maintaining the integrity of the house's architectural style, the couple brought it up-to-date in terms of technology and performance. What Boardman likes most about the home is the way it connects to nature through the 100 feet of glass windows. "It's very calming," he says.

Boardman's new business ventures have him traveling out West, and he has reluctantly decided to put the house up for sale. He says the jumping back and forth is getting tiresome. "If I could pick up the house and take it with me, I would do that," he says.

Have you ever been to an Equinox gym? Have you been following the design trend for mid-century modern style?

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