Inside RPM Gym: A Two-Floor ELV Fit-Out Delivered with Zero Day-One Defects

RPM Gym needed every low-voltage system in a premium two-floor fitness club ready on the day interior handover happened — not a week later, not after a punch list. That's an operational constraint that drives the entire ELV approach.

Cabling had to be in the ceilings before they closed. Devices had to be installed during the second-fix window. Face-recognition turnstiles had to be enrolled with the founding-member database before the first session ran. And the gypsum trade was on an aggressive parallel schedule, so any rework on our side would have collapsed the critical path.

The brief, in one line

"Be invisible during build, indispensable on opening day."

That brief drove four operational decisions before we touched a tool.

Four phases, sequenced against the interior contractor

Phase 1 — Structured cabling first-fix

48 Cat 6 data drops routed through cable tray during MEP works, before ceilings closed. Every drop labelled at both ends, every termination tested with a Fluke certifier. The testing data was archived against the project ID so any future contractor can verify the cable plant.

Phase 2 — Device installation second-fix

32+ Hikvision IP cameras across both floors:

• Dome cameras in low-vandal areas (training floors, lounges)
• Turret cameras in high-detail areas (reception, retail)
• Pendant domes in high-ceiling industrial spaces (mechanical, second-floor training)

Plus 14 ceiling-mounted Omada Wi-Fi 6 access points with overlapping coverage for seamless roaming across training floors, DSPPA zone-audio speakers for the PA system, and three face-ID turnstile lanes — two on the men's entrance, one on the women's.

Phase 3 — Rack & network

A full-height network cabinet in the back-of-house with:

• D-Link managed switching (one core, two access)
• Network Video Recorder with 30-day retention
• Omada Wi-Fi controller
• UPS with surge protection (Abu Dhabi mains quality varies)

The rack was assembled in our workshop before site arrival — fully wired, labelled, tested — and dropped into place on site as a single unit.

Phase 4 — Commissioning & member enrolment

Face database loaded, scenes programmed, NVR retention validated, mobile-app live view tested for the operator and owner. Documentation and training delivered the day before handover so reception staff opened the doors knowing every system.

The numbers, on opening day

• 32+ Hikvision IP cameras live across both floors
• 3 face-ID turnstile lanes processing members in under 600 ms per face match
• 14 ceiling Wi-Fi 6 access points with seamless roaming
• 48 Cat 6 data drops backboned through a single cable-tray spine
• 0 opening-day defects on the ELV scope
• 30-day CCTV retention with remote live view and mobile alerts for the owner

What we learned about gym fit-outs specifically

Sweat is corrosive

We learned this on a previous job. Devices placed inside high-humidity training rooms need anti-corrosion housings and a 6-month cleaning schedule. RPM Gym got the IP54-rated versions in those rooms even though the budget didn't require it.

Members live on their phones

The Wi-Fi network is a feature, not infrastructure. Members stream music, video-call their trainers, and post during workouts. We spec'd 14 APs for a layout that would have been fine with 10, just to keep performance smooth during peak hours.

Face-ID is faster than RFID for gyms

Members forget bands. They lose cards. They show up sweaty and don't want to fish a fob out of a pocket. Face-ID processes them while they walk through the entrance — no hands, no delay, no friction. Three months in, the operator has had zero complaints about turnstile speed.

What this kind of project costs in Abu Dhabi

A full ELV fit-out for a two-floor premium gym (1,200-1,800 m²) typically runs AED 280,000 - AED 480,000 depending on camera count, face-ID quality, audio specification, and network grade. RPM Gym sat in the middle of that range. Annual maintenance contracts on commercial CCTV installations run 8-12% of the install cost.

The single biggest cost variable is face-ID enrolment volume — a 200-member gym is quick to enrol; a 2,000-member chain is a multi-week project on its own.

If you're fitting out a gym, salon, retail space, or any commercial venue and want a realistic ELV scope conversation, reach out.