Project: Lakeside Country Club
>>> Lakeside Country Club is a private country club which offers golf, tennis, fitness rooms and swimming pools. The three story clubhouse serves as gathering place for the members of the country club with men’s and women’s locker rooms, dining rooms, bar areas and a ballroom for special events. After the devastating flooding resulting from Hurricane Harvey, the clubhouse at Lakeside Country Club was demolished and rebuilt 7 feet higher than the original building.
Camarata Masonry Systems, Ltd. (CMS) supplied and installed approximately 76,000 sq. ft. of tile and stone wall, floor, base, tops and stairs on this project. CMS was also responsible for the preparation of the shop drawings, the design of the dimensional stone attachment systems and the salvaging and relocation of the original crest from the exterior of the old clubhouse to the wall above the men’s lounge fireplace. The specifications called for 83 different stone and tile types and sizes which range in thickness from 3/8” to 15 ½” and in size from 1” x 1” to 12” x 60”. The stone package included a monumental stair, three fireplace mantels, facings and hearths, lavatory tops and numerous countertops throughout the space.
In addition to close coordination with the fabricator prior to beginning work on this project, CMS visited the plant in Mexico to ensure quality and timely delivery of the cut to size materials. The fabrication sequence and delivery of the material was critical in maintaining the project schedule. The winding stair features bullnose edges on the radial cut treads and stringers. Due to ornamental steel tolerances, all measurements for the radial monumental stair were taken after the framework was in place. These dimensions were incorporated into the shop drawings and tickets for fabrication of the stone.
The tile installation was extensive with CMS providing material in almost every room of the sprawling facility including the entrances, kitchen, janitor’s closets, 17 restrooms, corridors, locker rooms, dining room, wine room and bar areas. The new 86,000 sq. ft. building is elegantly decorated with varying sizes and types of tile (ceramic, porcelain and stone) that give each area of the clubhouse a unique look.
There is no denying the attractiveness and detailed work within the tile wall and floors, but the stone clad fireplaces and bar tops are especially eye catching features in the new facility. Upon entry, at the upper Main Level, the honed Cream Limestone Living Room fireplace with its’ massive cubic stone surround and mantel is even inviting during mild weather. Continue past the Living Room and enter into the Bar & Grill to find another fireplace with its’ imposing honed Cream Limestone 10’ surround and floor to ceiling wall cladding. Just opposite the fireplace is the massive Crystallize Quartzite bar top with a leather finish and 1 ½” laminated edge.
Beyond the Bar & Grill, you enter the Men’s Lounge and notice immediately the exotic Tambora Tide Granite bar top and in the background another impressive fireplace. The Men’s Lounge fireplace surround is extremely attractive and detailed in honed Menarco Marble and has the honor of displaying the original club crest above the mantel.
At the Lower Level, you will find two additional bar areas. The Crystal Lounge incorporated the 3 cm polished Crystallize Quartzite top along with a detailed bar facing using the same 3 cm Crystallize Quartzite. At the opposite end of the Lower Level, just beyond the Family Dining, is the Terrace Bar area, with a large four-sided bar topped with 3 cm leather finish Crystallize Quartzite and faced with honed Bayonne Cream Limestone
The dining area in the Wine Room offers more eye-catching detail with its’ tumbled finish Salado Limestone veneered wall and ceiling. The wall pattern pieces are 6” to 9” with varied heights. They were dry laid and approved by the architect prior to the installation. The 2” x 6” varied rectangular ceiling pieces were also dry laid before the installation to confirm the size of the cut pieces.
One of the most difficult components of the construction on this project was the need to work in multiple areas simultaneously while not being able to finish many areas due to incomplete work of precedent trades (some requiring longer lead times than our work). Increased manpower was added on an as needed basis to complete the partially finished areas. Another challenge was the requirement to fabricate many tiles on site due to the intricate nature of the numerous patterns and to cut down larger stock since the desired sizes were not available. For example, the custom double bullnose wing wall end caps and/or floor base in several of the restrooms that were ripped from larger pieces and the 3” x 6” subway tiles that were cut from 12” x 12” pieces. To meet the field cutting requirements, CMS continuously operated 8 tile saws for a period of 8 weeks.
The substantial amount of tile fabrication onsite and the need to work multiple areas simultaneously created significant safety challenges. Safety conscious supervision, careful instruction at morning huddles and detailed task planning allowed us to work safely and achieve a no recordable accident project.
The new clubhouse at Lakeside Country Club provides a recreational retreat for current and new residents in the Memorial area of Houston. A family-friendly atmosphere and world-class amenities makes it the perfect home away from home.