I’m Mat Chandler, founder of The Float Center. A few years ago I found myself pursuing two masters degrees, working full-time directing the University of Florida’s Digital Fabrication Lab, and spearheading my first startup. I was at the brink of what I could physically and mentally handle and was in desperate need of some relief. I visited my first float center in Orlando and finally found the level of relaxation and rejuvenation I had been looking for. More clear, calm, creative, and energized than ever before, I was hooked, and knew I had to share this profound experience with the residents of North Florida.

Two years a year ago I founded Aurora Healing Arts Center, here in downtown Gainesville, FL. Among other traditions like yoga, meditation, dance and communication workshops, it has been my intention to offer the powerful healing tool of floating to this community, so others could have the opportunity to experience what I had, right here in our own city. Thus, The Float Center was born and is now coming to you through this campaign.

A rendering from street-view of the soon-to-be, modern and stylish Float Center.

What Is Floating?

Imagine relaxing in your own, private ocean. The floating experience is a sound and light proof tub filled with over 800 pounds of Epsom salts dissolved in a shallow pool of water, heated to your skin’s temperature. Without any sensory information for your brain to process, your parasympathetic nervous system activates, promoting healing, increased learning capacity and the ultimate in relaxation. There’s nothing like it on earth.

By backing this campaign you will help make history by building the very first float center in Gainesville. You will help build a revolutionary healing space where people can come to rest, relax and rejuvenate, on a cellular level.

The magnitude of what your contributions will help achieve for our community might be hard to conceive, but to get a hint, just take a look at the list above and see some of the many benefits of floating for the body, mind and spirit.

Maybe you’ve heard of the New England Patriots... Did they just won the superbowl or something? Well, the whole team floats and Tom Brady even has his own float tank in his house.

Familiar with Steph Curry? He and his entire team go floating on a bi-weekly basis because of the power it gives them on the court. Click Here for an ESPN Interview with Curry

What We Need

We need $108,000 to build The Float Center, a state-of-the-art float facility in which to provide you with the most optimal experience possible. Utilizing repurposed shipping containers and being fully solar-powered; the center will be as sustainable as it is beautiful. Your money will go towards the costs of construction, 2 state-of-the-art float pods, a deck below to hang out before and after floats, and a café for refreshments.

An X-ray view into the Float Center. Lobby on the left and the two float rooms and pods on the right.

The above image shows the organization of the different programmatic elements                occurring within The Float Center / Aurora spaces.

The Float Center will be centrally located in the heart of downtown Gainesville, next to the Sun Center and the Hippodrome, and just a mile from the University of Florida and Shands.

The Perks

In exchange for your contribution, you will be pre-purchasing floats and giving yourself the gift of ultimate relaxation, heightened learning capacity and increased physical healing. You’ll be the first to experience The Float Center when its doors open this Fall.

In addition to your floats, we are offering limited edition Fracture™ glass prints by visionary artist, Miles Toland. A Fracture™, which is a high definition printing directly onto glass, is some of the best quality printing in the world, resulting in the most vivid colors and depth for this dreamy float artwork. You'll be proud to hang this on your wall.

As another beautiful perk for your backing this project, we are offering these unique wooden necklaces, (created by lasers!) engraved with your name and The Float Center motto, "Experience Nothing. Be Everything."

Community Impact

How do we see The Float Center impacting our community? Well, we feel the benefits of floating are numerous, if not endless. As you may have seen in the campaign video testimonials, people are touched by their float experiences in so many ways. We feel that this modern-day healing modality meets just about everyone, right where they are at. Be it a business person, a medical professional, a meditator, or perhaps someone with bodily disabilities; the benefits that floating provides you and your self-care of mind, body and spirit are profound. We want to have this available to everyone in Gainesville to heal, grow and explore themselves further. In the video below, you'll see one example of a world-renowned business leader from Gainesville and how float therapy has changed his life.

Timeline

Challenges

We may face some challenges along the way, we realize this. It probably wouldn't be a project worth pursuing if it was "easy." The following are issues we may face and how we plan to minimize and overcome them if they arise.

Risk 1: Construction. Coming in behind schedule and over budget. Building The Float Center from the ground up, brings in variable factors of time and money into the equation.

Mat Chandler and architect Stephen Bender meet to discuss plans for the upcoming float center.

Plan 1.1: Expertise. We have partnered with local architect Stephen Bender, who specializes in shipping container architecture, to mitigate the possible risks of running out of money before the project is complete or taking much longer than the 6-8 month timeline we have proposed to opening our doors this fall. You can see the project on the BNDR Architecture website here: http://www.bndrd.com/about-bndr-llc/in-the-news-media/the-float-center-in-gainesville/

Mat Chandler, founder of The Float Center, also has a Masters Degree in Architecture and much of the necessary skill to manage this construction of this project from on the inside, as well.

Plan 1.2: Foresight. We have met with the City of Gainesville in a 1st Step meeting to foresee any other issues that may arise and were pleasantly surprised that there is nothing that would prevent this project from coming to fruition that they can see currently.

Plan 1.3: Outside capital. In addition to the proper planning, and thus the budget we have set out accordingly, we are prepared to make up the difference if unforeseen circumstances arise and drive the cost up past the budget. Through outside capital such as a bank loan or an investor, we will be able to complete the project and bring The Float Center to fruition and provide you with the floats you've paid for and we promised.

Lastly, and most importantly, if any other obstacle arise, we have a team that is here working hard for you and to make The Float Center a reality. We are confident that with determination, careful consideration and a result-oriented mindset as we move forward, we can overcome any obstacle that shows up in our path and proceed to success in bringing floating to Gainesville, FL.

What happens if we don't meet the goal?

We are prepared to move forward with additional funding options, such as outside investors and bank loans. We are determined to bring floating to the Gainesville community and continue to take care of use all through this healing medium. Lastly, if for some reason we were not able to complete this project and do not begin any major portions such as construction to where the funds will have gone to, we will refund your money. 

What Should You Do Now?

Back the campaign now. What are you waiting for? Find which perk sounds good to you, and click that little button to get going, and help make history by bringing the coolest thing to Gainesville since the Hippodrome!

Then, please share with your friends by word of mouth and by using the Indiegogo share tools! This is how we can make this happen and all get to benefit from having this exciting tool at our fingertips, by spreading the word and crowdfunding it into being.

Lastly, visit www.FloatGNV.com to see the site we have begun building out to relay all the benefits and more to you. You can also find out more about our Business-To-Business Packages orchestrated to take good care of you, your team and even your clients.

Thanks.

The team at The Float Center offers you much thanks and gratitude for your support thus far, and for the future. Had the overwhelmingly positive response from the community not been there far before this campaign began, we wouldn't have made it this far, this joyfully. Thank you and we look forward to floating with you soon.

Experience nothing. Be everything.

Best wishes,

The Float Center Team

www.FloatGNV.com