CLIENT: Country Club Detroit
LOCATION: Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
YEAR: 2015-2017
McIntosh Poris Architects transformed an underutilized bowling center into a new fitness center and bowling club while keeping the existing historic clubhouse natatorium shell and facade completely intact.
The program was based on modernizing the club through a diversity of health & wellness features, attracting more non-golf members, including 5,000 SF fitness center, modernization of the Men’s Locker Room, and a new casual entrance to the club. After removing the unused indoor pool, the foundation was underpinned an additional 7 feet was added below grade, giving the Country Club of Detroit additional space for a lower level bowling club with a fitness center on the main floor. Underpinning the existing foundation, and adding 7 feet of depth while keeping the existing building wing intact was a huge undertaking.
Now that the project is complete, there is no exterior evidence of the new basement and vault, preserving the historic character of the club as designed and built 90 years ago. In addition to preserving the historic façade, the renovation also preserved and exposed interior elements that had fallen into disrepair, such as the original plaster ceiling vault and existing window openings from the old natatorium that had been covered up. Additionally, artifacts removed during the demolition were repurposed, such as historic windows as mirrors, and the old bowling lanes as tables. Only one piling involved movement of 1/100th of an inch.
2017 CAM DESIGN AWARD
