\

ARCH AC . 808.2 T3 1969 no.22

JOliN BRASELTON 1969 a resort John E. Bras elton

Architecture 422

January 20, 1969

M/s. Morris '~.. ~ .!)'\<~ ., PAGES:

I INTRODUCTION 1

II NATURE AND SCOPE OF PROBLEM 5

III SITE LOCATION 8

IV CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY 14 v DEFINITION OF OWNER AND CLIENT 16

VI FINANCING 17

VII ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE RESORT 12

VIII SPACE REQUIREMENTS 23

IX GOLF. COURSE DESIGN · 27

X NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 38

XI CHARACTER 39

XII BIBLIOGRAPHY 40

AI ~~ 1\ ~ I C.. 1 · From the first of the Nfmanic tribes existence to now, man has needed a temporary shelter for himself while traveling distances which require temporary over-night stays along his path of travel.

While early man carried his shelter with him, today it has evolved to a point where we tend to seek shelter on a rental basis. This has led to the development of the motels and hotels of today.

A relatively new evolution of this traveling of man is the

"resort motel". The resort aspect adds many new prospects to the development of the motel of today in that it need not be on the traveler 1s path and also offers lodging which tends to be of a longer tenure. The resort should offer a change of environment for the patron as it is the

11 11 place where he should be able to get away from it all • Above all, the resort motel must be a place of relaxation and recreation. In the resort we are speaking of recreation in an active sense .

The growth of recreation in more recent years may be shown by the following:

- 1 - Years Compound Growth Rate

1956 1961 1966 1967 1956 to 1966 1961 to 1966 Personal Disposable Income {in millions of dollars) 293 364 509 545 5. 7o/o 7. Oo/o

Growth index 100 124 174 186

Recreation Expenditures {in millions of dollars) 15. 0 19.5 28.7 N.A. 6. 7o/o 8. 1%

Growth index 100 130 192 N.A.

Recreation as percent of 1 D~sposable Income 5 . lo/o 5.4o/o5.6o/oN.A.

The reason recreation expenditures are increasing as a percent of disposable income can be explained by a number of pertinent sociological trends evident in the United States. The most obvious and the most frequently mentioned trends are those which are actually increasing the time available for leisure activities such as longer vacations, more holi- days, and a shorter work week. Another important' and frequently men- tioned sociological change is the growing proportion of the population that is in the active age group from 20 to 29 years of age. The age group population projections of the U.S. Department of Commerce indi- cate that this age group will increase 43. 2o/o from 1966 to 1975 versus

1. "Investments," July 1968, Edward E . Resse, N.Y., N . Y. P 3

-2- . 2 . an increase of 13. 7o/o for the total population. The full influence of these trends have not yet been fully realized, indicating significant future growth in the leisure time industry.

Other less measurable trends that will accelerate the growth of leisure time activities are now becoming increasingly apparent. The first is a growing concern about health and physical fitness. This con- cern is creating an upsurge in the demand for sporting goods and exer- cise equipment. Second, the rapid development of lake front recreation facilities on a growing number of man-made lakes are providing. the neces- sary ' 'playgrounds". The facilities of these "playgrounds" include golf, tennis archery, skeet, boating and numberous other activities. Third, all states except Arizona and Hawaii are using dayligh~ savings time dur- ing the spring and summer months, allowing more time for outdoor re- creation during the week after working hours.

Another interesting development in recent years has been the new wealth of the retired. Today the masses are retiring with higher social security and medicare benefits from the Federal Government,

2. IBID, P. 4

- 3 - a greater amount of personal insurance and annuities than ever before

(witness the fantastic growth of insurance in force over the past 25 years), and finally the excellent benefits of the corporate pension and profit sharing plans that have been established, for the most

·part, during the la:st five or ten years.

- 4 -

The two ma:in drawing facilities of the resort will be a golf

/ /' course and water related recreation. The attraction of visitors of / 3 / each of these facilities is expected to be equal . . (

The growth ·of the popularity of golf may be illustrated by the

fact that in 1936 there were 16 golfers per 1000 population in the 4 \ United States; :in 196 7 there were 52. As to the future growth,

the experts may only agree to the idea that the zenith is not yet in

sight.

The popularity of the water related facilities; quite simply,

is never expected to decrease and probably will have a growth rate ;y'r~· in keeping with that of gold.

The resort is to consist of other recreational facilities such

as (s), tennis courts, archery range, skeet range, horse

back riding and other somewhat lesser scale sports and games. O ther

spaces that will be provided shall include private living quarters, party

3 · Interview, 11r. Pierre Cassell, Lakeway Inn, Lakeway, Texas .4. National Golf Information Sheet, 1967, GC 1

- 5 - ~ bars, restaurants and other related facilities. · In addition to rental living quarters for temporary guests, there will be sites for permanent housing. The architectural manifestation of these private will be omitted from the thesis.

The capacity of the motel will be 325. guests, provided for by

125 rooms .

The size of the resort, including all facilities and homesites will require a site of approximately 1200 acres .

The total cost is estimated to be in the neighborhood of 5 $4,000,000.

The purpose of the resort from the client's point of view is to provide a fruitful and long lasting return on his invested dollar.

The purpose for the patron is to provide a place conducive to his pleasure. The resort must offer opportunities for recreation

5 · IBID

- 6 - as well as rest. These seemingly diametrical aspects must be blended architecturally so that the resort may offer these qualities to as many people as possible in as great a variety as possible.

- 7 -

The site will be located in Central Texas in the immediate vicinity of Austin, on the shore line of Lake Travis.

The maximum distance from Austin should be no more than thirty miles. The terrain in this area is the typical East Texas rolling-hill country. The landscape is covered by cedar and oak trees with outcroppings of rocks.

The size of the site has been determined thusly:

Sites for 1500 homes at three homes per acre equals 500 acres.

A figure used for circulation is 20 pe rcent of area developed for homes which equals 100 acres .

As earlier explained the golf course shall require about 200 acres.

- 8 - An arbitrary figure to include motel, boat docks, tennis courts, and polo field is 60 acres.

A figure of 10 acres is allotted for the air strip and related facilities.

Home sites - 500 acres

Circulation around sites - 100 acres

Golf Course - 200 acres

Motel, Polo Field, etc. 60 acres

Air strip 20 acres 890 Add 20% for circulation 178 1068

A site close to Austin was chosen for two major two major reasons, the first being its geological location. The terrain is the typical heavy wooded rolling hill country of East Texas. This will

- 9 - '('rovide for an interesting site for both the resort and the golf course.

The location near the population center of the state also pro- vides for a sufficient number of prospective home owners and vaca­ tioners. This may be best illustrated hy the following map. 6

6 . Austin Chamber of Commerce Pamphlet, 1968, Austin, Texas P. 1

- 10 - ~I ;. i

J

1967 POPULATION (l/1/67)

RADIUS OF AUSTIN POPULATION

100 Mile 1,907,200 200 Mile 7' 206, 100 300 Mile 9, 446, 000 Entire State 10,895, 700

- 11 - The second major reason Austin was chosen is its mild and excellent climate. The climate of Austin is described as being humid and subtropical. The coldest month is above 32° F. while the warmest month is above 71. 6 ° F. The normal rainfall per year is 35. 18 inches.

The Austin area will allow the resort to operate on a year around basis.

This may be seen in the following table: 7

7. Goode's World Atlas, 12th Edition, World Climate Regions, Pgs. 8 & 9

- 12 - ,\l : :"i"l iC, . .. :.'.!i ~\;;1;::: . ;tA:. A t~ . ~~.:. T ------

!:' 'tJ ~

~ ~ :! 0 0 z :.<

(b) (~ i

'•iJ '•J .... ~) )Uj 2 . !rh 21 : 1 :W . I)J., >.9b ~ lj ,. .:n "~ l. ~ v

The resort, while being an additional consumer for wholesale

trade and various services of the economy, will boost the economy of

A~stin by bringing in additional conventions and tourists to the com-

munity.

Last year in Austin the re were 284 conventions which brought

128,000 people to the city. The estimated value of these conventions was 8 13 million dollars ! This averages out to each conventioner adding

slightly over $100.00 to Austin's economy. On a national average

only 39% of this goes directly to the establishment lodging the conven-

~ion, the remaining large majority of 61% goes to the general cities 1

economy. This money is brought in from outside sources and added

to the city's economy where ideally it will circulate and never return

or turn over to an outside source. This is the reason that the conven-

tion business is so sought after by all the major cities.

The resort, which is the concern of this program, is aimed at

· the smaller conventions. The number of delegates would have to be in

8. Interview, Mr. Sample, Austin, C. of C. Jan. 9 , 1969 - 14 - the neighborhood of 250 or less. This is due to the size of the resort facilities and capa?ilities to , feed and entertain. The appeal to groups to hold their conventions at the resort is specialized as to interest, such as swimming, boating, water skiing, golf, skeet shooting etc. The resort facilities will not be capable of holding the larger conventions with more general interest.

- 15 -

The owners shall be asswned to be ten individual speculators, all with an equal interest. Therefore, the owner is a corporation made up of these ten men and the client will be a board made up of all ·of these men.

- 16 -

The financing will be done with the private funds of the indivi- dual investors. This project will require an original investment of 9 approximately four million dollars. This will cover the development of the resort, ·as stated, and the land cost for the private lot develop- ment.

The financing of individual homesites will be handled through different saving:5 and loan institutions in Austin. For this purpose there will be two plans. The first being a 1 O% dis count for cash payment, the second being 10% down and the balance within five years. Lot prices will vary between $3500 and $23, 000 per site.

With the purchase of a lot the purchaser is required to comply with two special requirements.

One. Membership in the Yacht Club. The fee for joining the club will be $6.00 a month for residents of the county and $12.00 a year for non-residents. The membership in the Yacht Club includes the use of

9. Interview, Mr. Pierre Cassell, Lakeway Devel oper, November 1 968 Est. taken from similar proj ect in area, knowing their cost and adding for additional facilities. - 17 - t~nnis courts, lake swimming facilities, boat docking facilities and shuffle board courts.

Two. Rulings of the Architectural Control Committee (composed of 3 developers and 2 home owners.} The committee must approve all plans prior to construction of any and all homes and/ or additions to existing homes. No temporary living structures shall be allowed, except on sites with permanent homes in construction. The minimum square footage for homes shall be fifteen hundred.

Membership in the Golf Club may be attained as follow s:

Family Membership

>:c Initiation fee $800. 00

Yearly dues 360.00

Single membership

* Initiation fee $600. 00

Yearly dues 240.00

- 18 - _::<)!

*May be sold by owner subject to membership committee approval.

>.'(* Where full membership is attained, the guest days shall be restricted to one or two days per week.

- 19 -

I MOTEL FACILITJES

A. 12'5 guest rooms ' r . t-: •' .'; • 1"' \ 1. 75o/o singles.._.... ~ ·"' ""•

2. 25o/o two · suites

3. 2o/o two suites

B. Administration offices and facilities

1 . Check in area

2. Maintenance and mechanical facilities

II LIMITED CONVENTION FACILITJES

A. Two large meeting areas

B. Three - four smaller meeting rooms

C. Restaurant to serve 200 people

D. Private club '- , ,.:_ ,v':·.

E. Ball room

- 2.0 - ill TEENAGE RECREATION :F:'ACILITIES

A. Snack bar

B . Swimming pool

C . Pool room

IV GOLF CLUB

A. Bar

B . Snack bar

c . Lockers

D. Swimming pools

E . Tennis courts

F. Pro shop

V . STABLES

A. Stalls for 35 horses

B. Riding ring and trai ls

VI AlR STRIP

- 21 - VII BOATING F AGILITIES

A. 123 slips

\ '-1 B . Individual boat storage \ V !.:. 1\' ":l

c. Boat servicing facilities

D. Snack bar

E. Floating swimming platform

- 22 -

The 125 motel rooms are divided into:

~ 81 - Sing~es

~ 42 - Two room suites

2 Two bed room suites 14 The recommended size for rooms is as follows.

Singles - 120 sq. ft.

Two Room Suites - 208 sq .. ft.

Two bedroom suites - 318 sq. ft.

81 x 120 sq. ft. = 9720 sq. ft.

42 x 208 sq. ft. = 8736 sq. ft.

2 x 318 sq. ft. = 636 sq. ft.

1 9,092 sq. ft. of rental space.

It is estimated that the rooms being designed for a l w..'Ury market would be approximately 20 percent larger than the above

recommendations. This would give a working figure of 24, 000 square feet.

14. Motels, Hotels, R estaurants & Bars, . Record Book, 1960, P. 25 2nd Edition - 23 - THE CONVENTION FACILITIES .

A. There will be two meeting rooms of 1500 sq. ft. each.

B. There will be three or four smaller meeting rooms

at 800 sq. ft. per room.

C. · and administration will be alloted 2000 sq. ft.

For the allow 80 percent of the service space for convention facilities or approximately 1200 sq. ft. in the main kitchen.

Allow 2400 sq. ft. for the private club; 20 sq. ft. per person, giving a maximum capacity of 120 people.

For the ball room allow 14 sq. ft. per person giving a maximum capacity of about 500 people.

Coffee shop for 150 people, allowing 20 sq. ft. per person =

3000 square feet.

The housekeeping facilities are calculated on 10 sq. ft . per r oom or approximately 1, 250 square feet total.

_, 24 - The administration offices will require about 1000 square feet.

The total maintenance area necessary will be 1500 square feet.

The storage for the resort facilities will be 250.0 square feet.

The space allotted for the Gift Shop is 1000 square feet. '

Toilet facilities throughout all facilities.

Yacht Club may be calculated as follows :

Service of boats - 2500 square feet

Boat Rental Office . 200 square feet

Boat Repair & Servicing - 1000 square feet

125 boat slips, 84 s~uare feet apiece - 10, 500 square feet.

Individual Boat Storage, 6 square feet per boat - 750 s quare feet.

Toilet facilities.

The Golf Club will include the following to total 9200 square feet.

- 25 - Bar · 800 square feet

Pro Shop 1000 square feet

Snack bar 800 square feet

Lockers 1600 square feet

Storage and repair - 2000 square feet

Cart facilities -· 3000 square feet

It must be kept in mind that the number of employees will fluctuate greatly with the season, the peak being during the summer months with the low being in January and December.

- "26 - 1 XJ•@.·u· 1 . ·: · ·:.·.· ~~J1 .: @i@·. .. ·~ ·a. · · ~ .· ~'q Ull1· r.~· ~GrU."l tf;.] @~~~~@rm·,i Ul [ G\ · ·~(· 1 .,· ·, ·... ..- : ·L.JLJ ·.. : . ·. ~ l.JU ~UL:..J~@~..J 1.

SITE SELECTION

The recommended size for the better golf courses is approximately

160 acres for eighteen holes. This is 50 acres larger than the stated mini- 10 mum of 110 acres.

Terrain The recommended terrain is to be rolling, with natural vegetation

and interest, but not so hilly as to be tiring to the golfers. The land which

is too hilly also offers the disadvantages of being too costly to keep well

turfed and offers too many blind shots. It is my belief that the major con-

sideration here should continue to be the challenge and interest of the course

its elf to the golfer.

The site should also contain areas for the club house, practice

driving, and putting facilities and parking.

Accessibility The golf course should n ot be located away from transportation

and parking facilities. The course must have good access to a well main-

tained roadway. It is also advisable to locate one or two of the fairways

10. Planning and the Golf Course, National Golf , Publisher, 1968, P. 4 & 5 _ 27 _ along the roadway for advertising reasons.

Soil Factors The character of the soil must also be considered in the select- & Past Use ion of a site for a golf course. The ideal soil conditions would be a

sandy loam, this would vary with the opposite extreme being a heavy

clay. The source for this information will be the County Agent or

State Agricultural Experiment Stations. Also ample cons ide ration

must be given to use previously made of the land. Overused farm

land would be highly undesirable due to the loss of plant nutrients.

Land which has lain idle, or pasture land would be highly desirable.

Water Availability Consideration must be given to the large quantities of water

which is necessary to maintain a golf course along with the amount of

Clearing clearing necessary for the construction of the course. Thi s involve s

trees, rocks, stumps, or any undrained area which would need to be

filled. The native trees and shrubs maybe used as ideal natu r al hazards

through careful design. However, it is an expensive matter to remove

- 28 .:: laEge trees and the site selected should not have too many of these

in those portio.ns of the plot which will be fairways .

Natural The final consideration is whether or not the site possesses Golf Features natura~ golf features . This at first glance may seem to be the most

important, but, as a matter of fact, natural golf features, while

extremely desir.able, are not as important as the character of the-

soil and site location.

Rolling terrain, creek valleys, woodlands, r ·avine s, ponds

and the like of course make the job of designing an interest ing course

just so much easier, but all of these features, or a substit ute for the m

can be secured through artificial hazards . For this reason the presence

or absence of natural golf features is perhaps less important than any of

the factors that were previously mentioned.

Golf Course D e sign

Authorities seem to agree fairly well that the "ideal11 nine hole 11 golf course should range around 3200 yards. These authorities like-

11. IBID, P 5 - 29 - .Wise agree' that the par* of the c·ourse should be 35, 36, or 37

with the £irs·t mentioned most general. The distribution of holes is

generally suggested by these experts to be two par - 3 holes, two par - 5

holes, the remaining five holes to be par - 4 1 s.

Considering first the par - 3 holes, they should vary in length.

The shorter one should be in the neighborhood of 150 yards, thus requir­

ing an exacting four or five iron from the tee: the other short hole

should have the green a full long iron or wood shot awa:y, say 180 yards

or mo.re.

The recommended length for the two par - 5 holes also vary from

the shorter, approximately 480 yards to the longer one which would be in

the neighborhood of 520 yards . Both types call for two full wood shots

and well hit iron approach shots.

Under U.S. G. A. regulations, the minimum length of a par - 4

hole is 251 yards. Yet only in rare instances where some physical feature

- 30 - redeems the lack of distance do holes anywhere near this length rate even as average interest. They are too short to offer any challenge to the second shot. Thusly, the distance, from 251 to 350 yards, is

11 11 known among golf course arthitects as No Man's Land ; a zone to be 12 avoided.

Using the 350 yards as a minimum, the par - 4 holes should vary from this to the maximum of 470 yards. These varying ranges give the player the opportunity to use ali of his various irons after a regulation tee shot.

Other Cons ide rations for Course Planning

1. The maximum distance from one green to the next tee s'P.ould be 75 yards; an ideal distance \\0 uld be approximately 30 - 40 yards.

2. The first tee and the ninth green should be located immed- iately adjacent to the clubhouse. If it is convenient, without sacrificing

12· IBID P. 6

- 31 - . other, factors, the sixth green should also be close to the club house for the golfer who only has an hour to play.

3. Holes should not be laid out in an east-west direction. A southwest directed hole is also undesirable. The reason for both of these is the golfer's orientation to the sun.

4. The initial hole on the course should be a relatively easy par - 4 so as to get the players started as expeditiously as possible.

5 . Generally speaking, the first three holes should be rela­ tively easy to allow the golfer to warm up.

6. Whenever practical, greens should be plainly visible, and the location of sand traps and other hazards obviously apparent from the approach area, which is that portion of the fairway extending tee-ward for approximately 125 yards from the green.

7. Fairways sloping directly upward or downward are bad for two reasons: One; the up-and~own climb is fatiguing to the golfer and Two;

- 32 - · the turf is difficult to maintain on such an area.

8. The holes should be so different in length, character and

, so that there will exist no.feeling of duplication.

Three Types of Golf Architecture

The design of golf courses may be broken down into three

types; penal, strategic and heroic.

In the penal type, the traps guard the greens in bottleneck or

island position. Here the average golfer must either hit the shot very

accurately or play short to avoid the trouble he would encounter at a

normal range. One or two or these holes is generally recommended

for an 18 hole golf course.

The strategic type utilizes fewer traps, adroitly placed, so that

the golfer can hit with full power but must place his shots to obtain the

most favorable results. The modern course today offers about 50% of

its holes in this capacity. It is especially adaptable to par - 4 holes.

- 33 - The heroic type is a blend of the penal and strategic. The

traps and hazards are so placed that the player may "bite off11 as much

as he may choose. ·The more he is able to carry, the more advantag­

eous will his next position be. This type is suitable for all lengths

and should be utilized 30 to 50o/o of the time.

There should be no blind shots for approaches, and blind

shots from the tee should be kept to a minimum.

The character of the course should be so designed that during

one round every club in the bag should be used.

No stereotype design can be used, but the principles of d e sign have to b e applied in accordance with the natural t e rrain and the loca tion of the proposed green .

B e fore routing of the course all the natural green and tee

sites on the prope rty should be examined, and as m a ny as possible incorporated in the routing of the course. ·N atural sites should n ot b e

- 34 - passed over in routing the course,. in order to obtain a hole of pre­ determmed length, unless the hole would fall in the undesirable length of 250 to 350 yards.

The length of the hole will be determined by the· slope of the terrain and the direction of play, the natural features from tee to green and at the green site and the desire to obtain a variety of lengths throughout the 18 holes.

Fairway width generally is about 60 yards, but will vary depending upon the type of players expected to play the course, and the strategy of the play of the hole. A yardstick of fairway widths is as follows: 75 - 120 yards from the tee the fairway w ill be 40 yards wide; 120 - 180 from the tee the width will be 50 yards; 180 - 220 yards from the tee the width will be 60 - 70 yards.

The fairways can then narrow again if desired to the next land­ ing area if the hole is long; that is in the area from 3 30 - 440 yards.

- 35 - The area of the greens will vary from 5, 000 to 8, 000 square

feet depending upon the length of the hole and the length of the

approach shot called for. · The shape of the green will depend

upon the strategy of the design, the location and size of the traps,

and the length of the shot playing to it.

Where the slope of a green is from front to back, the slope

should not b e more than 5 percent, unless there is a break in the

slope by a depression. If the depression is not too deep, the slopes

of the depression can go from 10 to 15 percent. The slopes on the approach 13 of a plateaued green can run up to 20 percent.

Mounds and slopes running from the surface of .the green to

the sides or back can run up to 20 percent.

The slopes of the t raps in f r ont or on the sides playing toward the green will run from 30 to 40 percent .

. At the entrance of the traps the slopes should not b e over

1 3. IBID, P. 6 - 36 . 25 pe.rcent so _that the golfer's backs wing can be taken with a full, clean stroke.

- 37 -

Peak Low 15 :.:c:rotal Employees 126 82

Marina 10 · 2

Stables 4 1 '

· Golf Club 12 ·~ 12

Inn 100 67

Front Desk 12 9

Maintenance 8 5

Kitchen 10 6

Bar Tender 2 1

Administration 6 5

Maids 18 10

Night Patrol -2 ' 1

Food Service 42 30 . 16 The monthly payroll will fluctuate between $32,000 to $50, 000.

15. Interview, Mr. Pierre Cassell, Nov. 1968 16. IBID

- 38 -

The resort is approached in this thesis from a speculative view point. This places an added emphasis on the architect to comply with the budget. It must be decided as to what point design changes from good to extravagant. This point must be found and met by the archi- teet. A design found faulty for lack of architectural skill will be as faulty as one which incurs an encumbering principle outlay.

The resort will be designed for the luxury market, among other things this will require a formal bar and dining area to fulfill the des.ire for "night life". In contrast to these formal areas there will be very casual areas such as the boat docks. These two areas w~ll have totally different atmospheres while needing a coherence to give the outward expression of the resort complex. The various of the complex will be designed so that they possess an architectural unity with each o ther.

The activities will function independently and shall express their differences while having this unity of expression.

- 39 -

BOOKS

1 . Architectural Graphic S tandards, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,

New York, 5th Edition, 1956

2. Goode's World Atlas, 12th Edition, World Climatic Regions.

3. Motels, Hotels, Restaurants and Bars, Architectural Record

Book, 1960, 2nd Edition

4 . Planning and Building the Golf Course, National Golf Foundation,

1968, 1st Edition

5. Texas Almanac 1968 - 69

State & Industrial Guide

A. H. Belo Corporation

6. U. S. Bureau of the Census, Census of Business, 1963, Vol. 7,

Selected Services - Area Statistics Part 3, North Carolina to

Wyoming, Guam & Virgin Islands.

U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C . 19 66 ARTICLES

1. Austin Chamber of Commerce pamphlet; 1968, Austin, Texas.

2 . "Failures in Course Construction Result of Corner Cutting'' ,

Golfdom Inc. May 19 6 7

3. "Investments", July 1968, Edward E. Reese, New York, New York.

4. "National Golf Information" sheet, 1968, GC-1, Chicago, illinois.

INTERVIEWS

1. Mr. Pierre Casell, Lakeway Developer, Lakeway, Texas,

November 1968

2. Mr. Thad Phillips, Lakeway Real Estate Sales, Lakeway, Texas

November 1968

3. Mr. J. S. Sample, Austin Chamber of Cormnerce, January ·1969

- 41 - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special thanks for advice, counseling, consultation, to

Will Robinson, my Advisor.

To M. Dial Bowen for editing.

To Eugenia Morris for ·counseling. ~~.. .;;

- 42 - A RESORT

FOR

LAKE TRAVIS, TEXAS

A written thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the requirements for bachelor of architecture degree at Texas Technological College

JOHN ERROLL BRASELTON Architecture 425 May 19, 1969 OUTLINE Page

I. Introduction • ."••••••••o••••••o•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1

II. Use ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2

III. Considerations •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 4

IV. Site Analysis • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 6 v. Design Analysis • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ·a VI. Mechanical Analysis ...... 18 VII. Outline Specifications ...... 19 VIII. Conclusion ...... 25

IX. Acknowledgments • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 26 INTRODUCTION

It is my belief that the preceding program .relates the fun­ demental and important requirements of a resort. The purpose of the following written thesis is to take into consideration these physical needs and relate them to architecture. It is my belief that I have intergrated both the physical and aesthetic consider­ ations into an architectual statement with vilidity.

-1- USE

This resort is designed with the intention of attracting the group, sociologically identified as the "Upper middle class." The reasons for choosing this group is that they makeup an im­ portant percentage of the population and also their relative wealth, which can support a project of this type. This group of the population may be divided obviously into two groups; young and

old adults.

At the resort an imphasis is placed on the more vigorious activities which will be more actively enjoyed by the younger _group, while more passive interests will be enjoyed by the older group. This concept was carried through in the physical design and may be seen in such areas as the access to the recreation and snack bar building.

The resort is planned so as to provide housing and recreation for individuals or groups up to 200. The length of stay may vary anywhere from a weekend to housing for permanent residents. No design considerations were provided for over night guests.

-2.'- These are the major use factors which provide a basis for designed consideration, which will be discussed i n the next chapter.

-3- CONSIDERATIONS

It is felt that the most important consideration is to· provide a totally new concept in resort living which cannot be compared to any other resort complex.

The resort is designed so as to break the monotony of city living, which these people have become so grudingly accoustomed.

The resort was designed to be different in many ways, such as form and relationships. The uniqueness in form and relationships was accomplished by unexpected occurances in the architecture.

This also has the advantage of adding the element of excitement.

The atmosphere was kept 'rustic and much in character with the heavily wooded and rocky site. The materials, finishes and structure are .luxuri.ou.s and comfortable, while not being gaudy. The people which meet and associate here are generally on the same social level. Therefore, it was not necessary to provide physical evidences of varing social levels. These guests and the residents are allowed to associate without this social tension. This is why the spaces were designed to accommodate different

-4- families and groups, to house different functions and not to var.y in luxury of spaces and finishes.

- ~ SITE ANALYSIS

The site on Lake Travis was choosen because of its advantages as outlined in the preceding program. The immediate site was choosen because of its present potentuality of development; its 27 minutes of driving time from Austin, and because of its over

mine miles of actual shore line bordering in this li sections of land. The site also· contains no lots or development that faces West and the majority are either orientated North or South.

The residential· development was planned to be intergrated into a flowing pattern with the contours of the site. This also

provided for maximun use of the view of the lake for all residents. I felt that this type of development will add interest to the individual lots. I also provided a generous number of green areas which were allowed to flow through the residential development. This was done in order to give areas of recreation and activities for the residents. The green areas also were inter-connected so that the creek, which runs through the residential development, would not form a psycological barrier.

-6- The site also contained at least 120 acres of land suitable to the development of the golf course.

The waste disposal unit is placed so that it is out of view,

and not up wind from any of the development. It was also necessary

to place t~e waste disposal unit close to water so that the treated effluant may be placed in the lake. The supply for the purification

~lant is located at the opposite extremity of the site, more for psycological reasons than physical.

The air strip is located on the highest elevation of the site and therefore easily accessible by air. This location also pro­ vides for no flight patterns over public or private facilities.

The major buildings of the resort: main complex, housing complex, golf club, and recreation and activities building, are so located as to form a triangle of activity fer the·resort. This is separation in functions of the residential and the resort activities. This separation is also deemed appropriate because of the need for privacy of the home owners . However, the visitor arriving will be introduced enough to the housing to know it is there and stimulate his interest.

-7- DESIGN ANALYSIS

To completely understand the manisfestations of a piece of architecture, it is necessary to know the intentions of the architecto It is with this in mind that the following was written.

The majority of the materials, which were used for construct­ ion and finishes of the resort buildings, are abundant on the site. This is evident in the extensive use of wood with accents of ·stone.

The stainless steel was choosen because of its qualities of en­ durance in wearing and easy maintenance. Another important con- sideration is its ability to reflect both sky and water. This was determined to be fully desirable in it expression of the re­ sort's activities. The stainless steel was perf~ted so the light would be dispersed and not a totally blinding mirror reflect­ ion. It must also be remembered that a great majority of the roofs in the r €sort are easily viewed and an attractive finished material was a necessity.

The element of the diagonal was used through out the design of the resort. This element was appropriat because of its reflect-

- A- ion of the hill country in which the buildings are located.

The diagonal appears in the interior and exterior wood siding as well as in the sections and elevations. It also r eapears in the plans of most of the buildings. The diagonal siding makes a 90° change as pl~es meet, expressing the change in planes and making a desi rable herring bone pattern.

To make an attempt to give a complete design analysis, it will be ne~essary to break the resort down into its indi vidual buildings and inturn break the buildings down i nto their major spaces.

MAIN COMPLEX - The ma~n complex was designed to have domin- ance over the other facilities. This was accomplished by pl~cing it. on the highest elevation relative to the other buildings i n the resort. It is also accomplished by the fact t hat it is the largest facility within the resort. After many schemes of the physical massing were considered, it was determined the form should be broken so dominance over the other facalities would not be total. The relationships among the buildings were determined to be of great importance. It was also desirable to express the different activities of the spaces which make up the mian complex.

Entrance - The main entrance was designed to act both as a formal entry and an entrance for guests upon their initial arrival. The fact that a guest upon arrival is usually sonewhat irritable and in a hurry to get settled is of no little importance. The initial arrival is the first impression and is very difficult to change if it is unfavorable. This is why the entry is both physically and mentally easy to enter and not overly formal in appearance. As you progress past the registration office,_the formality becomes more appearant• In the approach to the dinning room one passes by the lobby and recessed doorways. · The stone flooring, skylight, glass , and interior courts keep the character of the entrance and substain the :.interior-exterior re- lationship.

Dining room - The dinig room is so oriented that the longest opens on to a and in. turn to the lake. This was done for ·the obvious advantage of the view and its exc~le northern . . I exposure. The clear story· has .the··advantage· of being on a south- ern orientation. The has its o~m toilet facalities, for reasons of convienence and control, and is directly connected -10- . to the kitchen by two : orie to serve and one for dish washing.

Kitchen ~ . The kitchen is in a four zone plan. These zones

are receiving, dish washing, preparation, and serving. These

spaces are provided with their required storage and refrigeratio~.

The kitchen opens directly both to the bar and to a serYice court.

It is connected by a sub-grade tunnel to the convention facilities. It was determined that this was necessary because of the varying

function of t he convention in t hat the food would be taken in large

quantities on relatively few occasions and because it would occasion­ ly be desirable to have a physical barrier between the convention

fac ·ilities and the rest of the resort. The separation was also necessary because of the desire to give a good view to all the major

soaceso

Service court - The service court is recessed on the exterior so there is no view of the dock and trash. The road to the court

is bermed on both sides so that the view of it is inhibited. The service court· opens directly of the kitchen and the bar.

Bar - The bar is oriented to take maximum use of the view.

The l ong East wall opens directly off a deck which i s di rectly

-11- opened towards the lake. The bar has a serving. connection with the dining room and has its own toilets which face an interior court. It is expected that these toilets will be visited more

frequently than any other toilet fac±lity and it was desirable to give a ?leasant view while entering and leaving the toilets and still maintaining the needed privacy. The bar opens off the major corridor as do all the public spaces. This was done for reasons of orientation.

Administration - The administration building is· located just off the entrance for reasons of convenience and control. Contained in this space are reception, cashier, cigar counters, offices, .telephone operator with.equiptment, employees toilet and the mech­

anical room. The offices of the manager and assistant manager are provided with clear stories and exterior decks. The offices are entered by the small which leads to the main corridor.

Lobby - The lobby has only a line separating it from the main corridor, but is located so it is out of the circulation paths. The lobby does possess a visual link with the main corridor and the administrative counters. It is hoped that this area, by

-12- being somewhat off· the circulation path,_may be used as a space for resting and waiting and not a space for posing.

Convention Spaces -The convention complex is composed of a large meeting room which may be sub-divided into smaller rooms with movable partitions. It also contains a large ball room which may accomodate up to 200 for eating pur poses. A small room is lo­

·cated off th.e ball room with warming trays., and refriger~tion for food. ser vices . t ·o the ball room. Both meeting and ball room focus towards exterior decks and in turn to the lake. The entire con­ vention complex comes off the main compl ex at an angle of approx­ imately 85°. This was done to fit the contours of the site and also to give the view of the main portion of the l ake ·to the con­ vention complex. Between these two major spaces is a lobby to serve soley the convention facalities. The complex also contains its own mechanical r oom and toilets. The toilets· also serve the main corridor and lobby. The convention space has its own entrance and may operate separatel y from the main complex. This enables th~ resort to handle separate groups simultaneously.

CONDOMINIUMS AND RENTAL UNITS - These units were designed

-13- in a diagonal plan both for maximum use of view and to carry the theme throughout. The units follow the contours around the shore line of the lake. This resulted in a ~asual plan and achieved the desired effect of individual units, and not a big bulk to digest all at once.

The condominiums differ form the rental units in that the con­ dominiums have and . Also the condominiums come in one and two bed rooms while the rental units come in efficiency and one bed room. The spaces which the different units have in common are identical in volume and expression. The condominiums are located away from the shore line on higher ground while the rental units are located close to the shore line. All the units have over s'ized to give space for the storage of suitcases and etc. The coat is replaced by a small nook containing pegs on which to place raps. This was done for efficiency in that a peg is the easiest w~y to hang a coat and may accomodate varying numbers. The numbers may vary greatly with the social life of the occupant. All entries to the various units are protected from the weather. The living rooms are so designed that they may be oriented either to the lake or the fire place, whiqh ever is appropriate. - The walls which are predominately made of glass face towards .the lake. The clear story glass section is canted. back to illuminate the sharp edge volumetrically and to express the clear st·ory.

All .units have at least one wood deck facing the lake, which is either North or East. The two bed room condominiums have two

decks to serve it. These decks are so planned that they m~ not view or be .viewed by other units decks.

BOAT DOCKS - The docks are planned to be easily accessible by the guest and mone owners. They are designed· to have a space· offer- ing protection for the boats and some immediate storageo It is a fact that this storage must be vented to all ow the boating accessor- ies to dry. To give some interest in form to t he boat docks, I used this vented storage space as a design element.

ACTIVITIES BUILDING · ~ - The activities building consits of a smack bar on the top level with a recreation room on the lower level. The level underneath the recreation room is devoted to boat parking, and circulation and mechanical needs. The building

is accessible from the shore by a wood bridge connecting to 1~

-,- .C:-. stories of . Both rooms in the complex have toilet facilities.

This complex was located in the water because of a~cess by boat and foot. It was also felt this would make an interesting site and would give a .. good view . for the building.

The more interesting structure is given to the snack bar because it is expected to have the continual useage by the majority of the people. The recreation room i's to have such facilities as cards, pool table, ping-pong, etc •• These will be more activily enjoyed by the youngsters. With this in mind, I scaled the .wall down to 71 -611 •

GOLF CLUB ~ The golf club is located so that all finishing holes, starting tees, and greens are located in the near vicinity. This includes toe greens of 6,9,15, and 18, and the tees of 1 and 10.

~he golf club is also located on somewhat of a high point which gives a good view of both the course and the lake. The main entry to the golf club brings one through the pro shop to the regestration desk. There is a separate in this immediate vicinity for picking up ones clubso The bar and grill is separated from the pro shop by a screen eall. This space is very dramatic 'YTi th its high and walls, plus a relative small

-16- area •. The administ·ration spaces are located just off the checking counter. · Included in this space is the and a large area for storage and repair of golf. clubs. The locker rooms are physically connected to these spaces and access is by an outside covered walkway. The locker· rooms contain limited lounging area, shower~, ' individual stalls for women, lockers, sannas, toilet facilities, shoe shine, and maintenance:.quarters. ·The locker rooms are sky lighted so that they receive the advantages of natural light and still manitain their privacy.

-17- MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT

Air Conditioning - I have choosen individual fan coil units

,supplied by a four pipe&t and chilled water system for several. reasons. First because of its ability to provide a pleasant source of heating and cooling and second because of its ability not to condition certain zones or spaces with in the complex, while others may be in use. Mechanical Rooms - The mechanical rooms include boilers, hot- water heaters, cooling equipment and all other related facilities. Cooling Tower - I am using the lake for my condensing and there fore may omit a cooling tower.

-18- OUTLINE SPECIFICATIONS

D!VISION 1 - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS - does not applY

DIVISION 2 - SITE WORK 0210 Clearing of the site There sha!Ibe no-crearing of the site that is not absolutelY necessary to the construction of the building; as the natural landscaping is to remain in the area. 0220 Earthwork Excavating and backfilling - All excavating shall be moved to golf course site for use in its construction. Soil poisoning - Termite control under and around building. Precautions shall be taken not to poison soil against nat­ ural plant growth around buildings and walks.

0260 Roads and walks Pav1ng shall be made of asphalt cement. Curbs and gutters shall be constructed of reinforced con­ crete. ·Walks shall be finished with exposed aggregate concrete. 0280 Lawns and planting Exterior trees and planting shown are existing. Trees and planting shown in interior areas to be included in the con­ tract.

0295 Boat facilites As shown in drawings, boat facilities shall be included with all necessar,y equipment to their functions.

DIVISION 3 - CON CRETE - shall primarily be restricted to floor slabs and walks

-19- 0310 Concrete formwork Shall be of plywood and studs, properly cleaned and . oiled before each use. 0320. Concrete reinforcement Shall consist predominately of welded wire mesh and small reinforcement bars.

0330 Cast in plice · Walks~hal be exposed aggregate

DIVISION 4 - MASONRY 0410 Mortar ·Mortar shall be used for placing of stone in walls as shown in drawing. 0440 Stone Rough stone shall be used in all cases; as - quarried, as stone is shown in drawings.

DIVISION 5 - METALS 0510 Structural metals Gusset pl ates shall be used for connections in wood framing 0550 Miscellaneous metal Metal framed stairs are used in the main building's lobby

DIVISION 6 - CARPENTRY 0611 Framing All framing is to be No. 1 common grade Douglas fir. 0623 Wood siding To be stained No. 1 grade white pine 0630 Glued-laminated wood All heavy beams are to be laminated wood beams, _resting -20- on concrete laminated wood

DIBISION 7 - MOISTURE PROTECTION 0741 Preformed metal roofing All roofing is to be preformed, perferraited, #20 gauge raised ridge, stainless steel

DIVISION 8 - DOORS, 1r/IND01tJS, AND GLASS 0820 Wood doors Shall be wood panel type doors throughout. Glass panelled doors in French situation

DIVISION 9 - FINISHES 0916 Plaster Plaster finishes in kitchen, mechanical room, and in other work spaces 0957 Wood parquet Flooring on dance floor, in bar, and in convention spaces

DIVISION 10 - SPECIALTIES 1018 Toilet and shower compartments St alls shall be formed with simulated stone partitions 1020 Demountable partitions Exist in convention space and have a wood finish 1030 equipment Shall exist in rentable areas with fire places 1040 Idnetifying devices Copper letters shall be used to identify public facilities and rentable spaceso -21- 1050 Lockers In golf club shall be 36" in height, and will be metal 1095 Waste disposal units Project ~~11 have own treatment plant to serve itself.

DIBISION 11 - .EQUIPMENT 1141 Bar unit . ~ in approximately one-fourth of the rental units and · in the bars 1142 Cooking equipment . Residential type kitchens shall be in the condominiums. Cow1aercial type 1 kitchep will be in the main complex. 1163 Laundry equipment Malll complex will have a commercial type. Condominiums will have a residential type washer and dryer.

DIVISION 12 - FURNISHING

1240 Carpets and mats These wirr-be-a-deep pile, rich colored synthetic with a rubber mat.

1251 Draiery tracks Sha 1 be concealed

DIVISION 13 - SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION 1385 Swimming pools Two shall be installed, one with the main complex and one with the yacht club. The one with the main complex shall be of a luxuri ous pleasure type. Outdoor shall be orovided for the complex pool. The one at the yacht club, shall be of a floating platform nature, located on the lakeo

-22- DIVISION 14 - CONVEYING SYSTEMS· - does not applY

DIVISION 15 - MECHANICAL 1510 Basic material and methods . Water pipes for-rhe heat1ng and cooling and drinking s,yst em shall be of galvanized steel to supply the various untis. 1520 Water supply system The wat er shall be supplied by the lake, purified for drinking purposes, or just filtered for mechanical and other uses. 1525 Soil and waste system The project will have its own sewage treatment plant which will dump the purified water back into the lake. 1550 Fire extinguishing system ~project will have 1ts own fire house. Each building will have its own standpipes.

1565 Hot water system Wirl be in use throughout the project. This requires a boiler. 1592 Commercial refrigeration units Shall be used to supple cold water to the mechanical S,Ystem 1593 Cooling towers The lake shall be used for the cooling of the water, and cool­ ing towers are theref ore not needed.

DIVISION 16 - ELECTRICAL 1622 Underground electrical service All exterior electrical serv1ce shall be so provided 1641 Indoor fixtures All shall be approved by the architect. There will be extensive use of accent spots with the general lighting requirements. 1642 Outdoor lighting fixtures Fixtures. such as spots will be used for accenting land­ scaping as ~rell as for safety and security. 1651 Telephone equipment Main complex will have its own switch-board

1653 Public address sy~tem Ma~ complex as the golf club shall be provided with a public address system

-24-· CONCLUSION

With the preceding requirements taken into consideration, plus the environmental attitude and personality of the area, a c9mprehensive design was evolved. It is my sincere hope that the resort will serve the recreati onal needs of its patrons, the financial needs of its owners, and the aesthetic needs of all.

-25- ACKNOWLEDC1'1ENT

· Sincere appreciation to Mr. Willard Robinson and Mr •. William

Stewart for guidance and criticism.

Appreciation to ~ wife for encouragement and many hours of patience.

-26- I I I I