M. ROSS ARCH. 422 • A RACQUET CLUB FOR LUBBOCK, TEXAS. A Racquet Club for Lubbock, Texas A Thesis Program in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Bachelor of Architecture degree. Design Option Presented by Michael David Ross Texas Tech University Spring 1978 1, INTRODUCTION 2, THE CLIENT 3, FINANCING 4, THE SITE 11 S> FACILITIES 24 ^, RESTRICTIONS 40 7, APPENDIX 54 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF THE PROJECT The nature of this thesis program is the development of the most precise and complete collection of data concerning my topic, A Racquet Club for Lubbock, Texas. Some of the questions this program will answer are: What is a Racquet Club? Who this Racquet Club is for? Where is this Racquet Club located? What goes on in this club? The elements composing the physical make-up of the facility are: 1. Clubhouse A) offices B) lounge and dining C) pro-shop D) lockers and dressing facilities E) indoor tennis and racquet ball courts 2. Outdoor tennis courts This facility not only will enhance the city of Lubbock but also provide its members a com­ plex that enables them to play the game as it should be played and to savor the deepest pleas­ ure the game has to offer. HISTORY OF THE PROJECT The name and the game came from the ancient net and racquet sport known in France where it was invented, as Jeu de Paume. This sport had its origins in the Middle Ages. It is mentioned in twelfth and thirteenth century manuscripts. In the sixteenth century the game was known to be exclusively an aristo­ cratic game because of the high cost of building courts. French kings were particularly enthusiastic about the game and two of them died as a result of that enthusiasm; Louis X of a chill he took after the game and Charles VIII after being struck in the head by a very heavy ball. Despite these catastrophies, their successors kept up the sport and by the end of the six­ teenth century there were between two and three hundred Jeu de Paume courts in Paris and over two thousand throughout the country. Many books try to extend the game's lineage backward to the ball and stick games played in ancient Greece and Persia but the major contribution to the game was from Jeu de Paume which brought the racquet and the net into the game. In 1767 Jeu de Paume, which had mainly been an indoor sport was transfered outdoors at a place called The Red House in Battersea, England. This started a game known as "field tennis." Around 1857 the world's first club devoted exclusively to tennis was founded by Major Harry Gem and friends. The first standardized set of rules for the game of tennis was established by a group from the Marlebane Cricket Club. In 1869 a Henry Jones proposed adding lawn tennis to the All England Croquet Club. The club, located alongside the railroad tracks in the Worble Road at Wembledon, was in deep trouble finan­ cially and was hoping that lawn tennis would add to the club's attractions. Two years passed and the club was still losing money so Henry Jones suggested that the club have a men's singles tourna­ ment open to all comers with a silver cup worth twenty-five guineas going to the winner. Little did he know, that was to become the world's greatest of all tennis tournaments and the most pres- tigous Racquet Club, Wimbledon. The Davis Cup was the biggest single factor in creating the world wide interest in the game. The U.S. Lawn Tennis Association was created and the game of tennis was off and running. What the game required now was great personalities, star attractions who could command media attention and through it the attention of the masses. They were waiting in the wings. THE CLIENT THE CLIENT The clients consist of a Lubbock Realtor, Mr. Wood, and several of his business associates out of Dallas. Together they will form The Court's Corporation. Mr. Wood has been very successful in many real estate transactions around the Lubbock area. His decision to invest has come about through an extensive study of the rise and feasibility of Racquet Clubs in America. His four prominent partners, out of Dallas have all been involved with Racquet Club develop­ ments in the Dallas area. The main goal is to make this a successful and profitable venture and to provide Lubbock with an attractive Racquet Club that will enhance the surrounding community. FINANCING FINANCING The Court's Corporation will sell stock in the corporation to finance the cost of construc- tion and will reimburse the stockholder from profits made in the following activities. 1. Memberships A. tennis memberships B. racquet ball memberships C. combined memberships 2. Membership payments A. initial fee B. monthly dues 3. Recreational A. tennis lessons B. tennis camps C. locker rental D. tennis tournaments E. court fees Retail A. pro shop B. dining and bar. MEMBERSHIPS I. Tennis Membership includes use of all tennis and social facilities. Membership Type Initiation Fee Monthly Dues A. Tennis Single Membership $550.00 $30.00 B. Tennis Couples Membership Includes membership for any combination of two people in the immediate family $650.00 $35.00 C. Tennis Family Membership Includes children in a family until age 21 $700.00 $40.00 II. Racquetball-Handball Membership includes use of the racquetball courts and social facilities. A. Individual $ 50.00 $10.00 B. Couples $ 65.00 $13.00 C. Family $ 75.00 $15.00 III. Combined Membership includes use of the racquetball, tennis and social facilities. A. Individual $575.00 $35.00 B. Couples $700.00 $45.00 C. Family $750.00 $50.00 COURT FEES: There is no charge for a member using an outdoor court day or night. The rates for indoor play are as follows: Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. $6.00 per court time Monday - Friday 4:00 p.m. to closing $8.00 per court time Saturday, Sunday and Holidays 8:30 a.m. to closing $8.00 per court time GUEST FEES: Guest fees are $4.00 per person indoors tennis. Outdoor tennis, racquetball, handball and squash guest fees are $2.00 per person. TAX Lb (b^c IH^Ul^Hce- a7o .cfLpATioNAi- a% MoPTeiAo^E: \L'I* ibOEiUAtiP-oub UriUTltia l2.7o APV^Tr^lHc, £7o iHiTiAi-^re-e. ro-M\\^ IHcoME-: loo% ToTAU E.XPeH5tb: 5^ty- - PP-Opir: firo 10 THE SITE LUBBOCK TEXAS 12 T- LOCATION: Lubbock, Texas Lubbock is located on the high level surface of the South Plains of Texas at an elevation of 3,243 feet. Cool nights and pleasant days are outstanding features of Lubbock's climate. The summers are dry and warm and the winters are dry and mild. The topography of the area is virtually flat and featureless with a slight slope to the northeast at a rate of 0.05%. The soil characteristics of Lubbock, Texas has four distinct layers. 1. Top soil of fine sandy loam. 2. Fine sandy clay or heavy loam. 3. Clay loam or caliche. 4. Sandstone. The soil drains well and runoff is slow to medium with moderate permeability. Depth to rock is approximately 13 feet. Load hazard and moisture content of the soil is minimal with wind erosion moderate. (Source: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service.) The depth to the water table in Lubbock averages 99.7 feet. Surface runoff on this site is minimal due to the flatness of the surface and the composition of the soil. The site itself is located in West Lubbock, an area of town that is growing at a rapid rate. The southeast border is the Santa Fe Railroad Line which runs parallel to the Brownfield Highway and the northern border being the alley of the houses that face 24th Street. The TEXAS TECH LIBRARY west border of the site, consists of York Avenue, the Golden Age Addition and the Midway Park Addition, The Midway Park Addition being townhouses and the Golden Age Addition being apartments. The site chosen is a 30 acre tract, section B, block 17, and is property owned by the city of Lubbock. The city is using parts of the site as drainage easements, but the Court's Corporation feel they can turn these unsightly eye sores into attractive pools for landscaping their facility. The Court's Corporation, plans on purchasing the entire area, allowing for future expansion of the facility. Consistent with the rapid growth of participation in tennis (300% since 1970), almost every community will experience an increase in the demand for more facilities. Therefore, when developing a Racquet Club one should think in terms of a piece of land large enough to 2 accomodate the rising demand, even when capabilities are limited. o View of main access to site from o across York Avenue, View of site looking east across \ city drainage easement. View looking north at the back of the houses that face 24th Street. o View of site looking southeast View looking northwest across a o major portion of the site. PHOTOGRAPHS ^ 16 AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH UttUfiCD SITE CONFIGURATK)! y.y 18 ACCESS Accessibility to the site is easily reached by moving along 29th Drive with its entrance off of York Avenue. The site being located so close to the Brownfield Highway allows almost direct access from either Loop 289 or the Texas Tech University campus. Slide Road runs within a block of the area and the entrance to the site is located on a Lubbock Citi-bus route (see access map).