Case Study: Oak Creek Club

I was recently hired to work on the Oak Creek Club named for the premier, gated community in Prince George’s county. The community also has an 18-hole championship, golf course of the same name that was originally designed by Ault Clark.

The Club, first designed in the early 2000s, was dated and didn’t feel pretty or comfortable. It’s about ten feet wide by sixty feet long and it felt more like a long hallway than a space for community. It also didn’t reflect the level of success of the people who live there.

The Club is a multi-use and includes the property’s business office, gym, meeting rooms and a space for events that seats as many as fifty people.

It was a big challenge creating a welcoming space for both intimate and large gatherings in this very long and very narrow space. Construction wasn’t an option. A buildout would have impacted The Grove Restaurant, a casual fine dining restaurant that sits next door. So color was my biggest tool.

I used an extreme amount of color to create four separate areas that can each work independently of one another. The main space is a gateway to the community room, conference room, business office and gym. Teal is happy color which is why I chose it. It gives the space a livelihood that is absent because of the lack of natural light. Most of the natural light is at the entrance and end of the long narrow space.

I also added the tangerine as a beautiful contrast. The paper on the ceiling gives added texture and interest. Lighting is the jewelry in the room and this amber glass chandelier is the perfect fit.

I used some suggested art in these renderings as we search for the right modern or pop art that won’t compete with all the saturated color. As you know, I believe no space is complete without art.

The result? A welcome room for community. POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW. I’d love to hear what you think.