Property Puregymers

With our continued expansion, our Property Team are the experts behind our ever growing number of gyms. We caught up with Cassy Vaz, Senior Project Architect, about stepping up into her new role at PureGym.

What do you do at PureGym, and can you explain your role?

I'm a Senior project Architect at PureGym. As part of the wider Architectural Team, I'm responsible for the architectural design of property development projects and from assessing the high-level feasibility of potential new sites. That could be prior to acquisition of the site through to completing property development works to both new and existing sites.

My role also includes providing technical evaluation of each site and forwarding that on to the right relevant people, as well as the design and the spaces and ensuring that the PureGym brand identity and standards are delivered to a high level.

The role offers the opportunity for continuous development of our gym formats and standards. Now as a senior I help with supporting and the professional development for people that report to me. Essentially designing our gyms from start to finish.

Having been here for three years, what first attracted you to join PureGym?

Having worked in a traditional architecture practice prior to PureGym, I enjoyed that and I gained a lot during that industry experience, but then I saw this opportunity and it offered a refreshing change from consultancy.

And while allowing to build on the skills and experience that I'd gained through consultancy and as well as it being something I felt passionate about, you know, it's a huge potential to make such a positive impact to people and in quite a unique way.

I was also attracted by the ambitious growth plans and obviously just felt a bit excited to maybe become part of it.

What excites you about the role and where would you potentially like to go?

Over the past 3.5 years, I've definitely grown in regard to my skill sets and experience but having this new senior role has given me the opportunity to further that. Prior to this, I hadn't necessarily had the experience of managing people, so it's going to be the experience of being able to.

It's given me more opportunities to develop and also learn and grow, hopefully for the next stage where we're looking to expand for another 80 sites next year. Things are only going to get more intense, but we're also going to get more people, so hopefully me now starting as a senior will prepare me for taking on more direct reports.

But also, the positive impact that we can make to people on various scales. Whether it’s to our members through accessibility to high quality clubs at low prices, to our Gym teams improving their place of work through club refurbishments and to the local areas that we move into. The opportunity to bring a bit of life back to the high street where we move into units/ buildings which have stood empty for years.

How do you feel PureGym has supported you?

I would say starting from the beginning, just in terms of career break, progression and what you gain just from being at PureGym is that it's a really unique place to be because, it's so multidisciplinary in regards to the people that we have within the team. You've got people from data analysts all the way to quantity surveyors, architects, and everything. By working with those people, it's a really unique opportunity to learn from them, grow and see how you can apply it to your own role too.

More so, I suppose it's also being put into those positions where you can challenge yourself because it’s a very fast-paced environment, so things are constantly changing, but also because our roles give you autonomy, it gives you the opportunity to keep moving forward and growing, challenging yourselves, challenging others as well so that we can keep moving forwards and enhance our offer. It’s given me the platform where that's all possible.

What is it like working with people at Pure Gym?

I think we're lucky, really. I think we're extremely fortunate to be surrounded by brilliant people who are absolutely expert in their field and making them an absolute force, really. There's also a contagious enthusiasm within the team to keep challenging ourselves, to keep moving forward and improving and actually putting together a really great product. It's a really good place to be.

What would you say to someone that was looking to join PureGym as an employee?

Just having the opportunity, thinking about our ambitious plans and looking in, you know, 5 - 10 years’ time and knowing that you actually played a part in making that happen. I think for me that is quite a big attraction and it's probably quite a rare opportunity in the climate that we were in now, joining something that is doing so well and also having such a positive impact on people, hopefully helping people through the climate that we're in at the moment and making a difference.?

?If you're interested in the roles we have at PureGym, please do take a look at our careers page?here.