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Today’s Clubhouse in sports and recreation centers are used for entertaining guests, requests by members to create a more comfortable, residential atmosphere. It includes most important private and public areas like lobby and lounge, restaurant, and locker rooms. Main entrance of clubhouse allows entrance for public, but has a private entrance for members, and connect to the parking area. The entrance lobby is a large space which allows users to easily find their way, although many facilities include signage to help direct members and guests. Spaces which are commonly accessed off the entrance lobby are the lounge, the dining room(s), and the corridor to functional spaces such as the locker room, fitness center, and spa. It may administrative offices located near the main entrance for access to public but in seclusion.
The lounge or living room generally has conversation groupings including sofas, chairs, end tables, lamps, and coffee tables. The position of dining rooms in a large clubhouse would be located off the main entrance, with a lounge and a casual bar in this vicinity. Smaller more casual eating areas such as a sandwich grill with outside service near the pro shop are common. The seating arrangements in large dining spaces can be very flexible, if divided by panels and with half-height walls to divide the large space into more intimate dining spaces. The dining room should be planned for a variety of group sizes, from single diners to large groups. A variety of table top sizes that can be combined to accommodate these different groups is necessary in planning the space. Dining areas and the kitchen are often most crucial areas in the design of the club house. The bar is one of the most popular areas of the clubhouse and it can be placed adjacent to the dining room. A more traditional club might have a more formal bar lounge where the “Entertainment” is really the good relationship of the members. Furniture in this case might be sofas, club chairs, and even tables where card games may occur.
Locker rooms: This is a very crucial resource in a clubhouse to facilitate those who visit fitness centers and swimming pools. They are planned for both interaction and privacy. The interior designer must create locker rooms which are functional and efficient as well as providing privacy. The sizes of the lockers, locking facility, materials involve decisions based on the function of locker rooms. In addition to this, a retail store with good merchandise display may be planned to encourage shopping by players an nonpayer’s alike. Patios, terraces, and balconies are important design elements for any club house. Players and guests enjoy relaxing outdoors. Some people simply enjoy the view of the course from the patios outside the clubhouse. The interior designer will be responsible for specifying the furniture and furnishings for these areas. Food and beverage services are always part of the attraction of outdoor seating at this facility. Exhibition kitchens and outdoor barbeque may be arranged to attract members during both summer and winter seasons.
Furniture and Furnishing: The interior designer is generally responsible for much of the furniture, furnishings and materials specification of the club house. Naturally, this work is done in concert with the architect, interior designer, the client, and possibly other design team members. The furniture selections for social areas like the lounge and dining room focus on styling, comfort and often casual elegance with placement which encourages interaction as well as a certain level of privacy.
Floor Covering: Many of the finishes and architectural materials in a clubhouse will be those suitable for the hospitality industry. There are, however, many products designed specially for the fitness center industry that will be appropriate to areas of the clubhouse. Carpet is a very popular choice for flooring in many areas. It is suggested to use solution-dyed fibers because they provide fade resistance and color fastness, which are especially important with pattern carpets in this type of facility. Nylon yarn is preferred due to its resistance to wear and its rebound from crushing.
Flooring: The installation of hard or resilient flooring depends on its use .For example, it is critical to specify non slip surfaces in the locker room and in other areas where slippage may occur. Textured surfaces of the resilient floor material add to the comfort and safety of the user .Hard –surface flooring in the entry and lobby could be stone, in the dining room carpeting to aid in acoustical control, and in the locker room anti microbial carpeting.
Finishes for walls: The interior designer must carefully review the uses of the spaces in order to make specification decisions on wall finishes which consider function, acoustics control, fire safety, and code compliance. Dining rooms and lounge spaces are often designed with large windows facing the course to take advantage of the wonderful view a course creates. At the same time, these hard surfaces can cause sound to bounce off the surface, creating more noise within the space and hindering comfortable conversation. The designer must use other architectural finish materials to absorb that additional sound. Such materials include cleanable acoustical cloth on the walls, dense carpeting, and fabric on the chairs. In some club dining rooms, draperies are allowed to increase sound absorption. A wide variety of materials can be used as wall finishes. Wood paneling, wall papers or textiles, tile, stone, and, of course, paint all may be used on interior walls, assuming that they meet appropriate building and fire safety codes. A traditional interior might include extensive millwork and wood paneling, including French doors and windows. A contemporary interior might include large, open windows, stone, glass block, and stainless steel.
Paint is a versatile and economical wall finish that allows from numerous themes and concepts. The location of painted surfaces should be specified with care since some areas will receive more wear and tear than others. When specifying paint, the interior designer should test the paint, and the paint finishes, at various times of the day. Color choices are greatly impacted by delight, the types of artificial light sources used, and use of the space. For example, a luxurious restaurant at the clubhouse with the majority of business in the evening and at night may require a quieter, cozier, more elegant color scheme and atmosphere. The grill might need the opposite type of color scheme. Whatever the color scheme, the interior designer must make certain the colors selected are appropriate to the use of the space, as well as enhancing the space and creating a harmonious environment.
Acoustics: Acoustical concerns create interesting design challenge for the interior designer. The high ceilings in the entry lobby, lounge, and reception area create a grand effect but also create acoustical problems, especially where hard flooring is installed. Noise from the locker room and activity rooms should be contained as much as possible in those areas so that lounge and dining rooms maintain a lower level of controlled ambient noise for conversations. Floor and wall treatment specifications are key factors in controlling acoustics once the zoning of spaces has been determined.
Lighting poses other design problems for the designer. Large windows that allow for wonderful day lightings effects create challenges regarding artificial lighting of spaces at night. High ceilings often mean that the designer must integrate wall sconces or wall-washing fixtures with spotlights or even pendent lights and chandeliers to illuminate the lounge and entry. Functional spaces like the locker rooms and pro shop require functional lighting that does not become glaring against the hard surfaces of walls and cabinetry.
Other facilities: The generic clubhouse may further include beauty shop or barber shop; It is not unusual for smoking to be allowed in some areas of the clubhouse. Newer clubs may have a separate bar or cigar bar for smokers, with nonsmoking areas pre-dominating. If smoking areas are allowed within the clubhouse, an air filtration or ventilation system that will adequately replace the room’s air should be specified by the design team.
In general, accessibility guidelines must be met in the clubhouse unless the facility is a private club. There are exemptions for private clubs regarding the NBC guidelines. Other state and local code compliance may make accessibility design necessary for the convenience of members.
The interior design of clubhouses is an interesting commercial design specialty with potential involvement in many kinds of commercial spaces. Becoming involved in the interior design of any type of recreational space is an enjoyable way to engage in the profession.
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