Dorset Field Club

Expansion of Dorset Field Club Facilities

Client: Dorset Field Club
Location: Dorset, Vermont
Delivery Method: Design-Build
Date Completed: June 2001
Project Cost: $1.7 Million
Architect: Robert Escher AIA

As what used to be the oldest 9-hole golf club in the country, the changing membership and expansion of the Dorset Field Club to an 18-hole course required the club’s facilities to grow with it. An obsolete kitchen facility needed to be expanded and updated to meet life safety issues. The locker rooms required expansion to accommodate the growth in membership. An administrative office working from an attic was also expanded and made accessible to the club’s members. Finally, a centralized area was created for the storage and maintenance of the club’s fleet of electric golf carts. All this had to be done while maintaining the traditional appearance and attitude of the Dorset Field Club. The project was accomplished by a design build contract and by using a team approach.

When first contacted by the Dorset Field Club, the utmost concern confronting the membership was how to modernize and expand their club to meet a changing membership while retaining the traditions of the oldest 9-hole club in America. Woodruff Hall, the original clubhouse, still stood on dirt and had windowsills rotting away. Attached to the hall were a series of expansions that had been cobbled together over the years. A small pro shop was in complete disrepair and difficult to maintain. The golf cart storage was far from the pro shop and first tee, making constant cart charging and transportation operations difficult to maintain after the course’s expansion to 18-holes the previous year. The challenge of this project was to expand the club’s operation, while consolidating it to a limited area, fitting it between tennis courts, tees, practice greens, and parking lots while maintaining the traditional feel embodying the club. Additionally, the timeframe for project completion was a mere seven months. Russell Construction Services met these challenges by was of a Design-Build contract with the club. A local Dorset architect was employed, who ensured the tradition of local architecture was maintained and provided cost feasibility and a probability study on how to salvage the historic Woodruff Hall. In the end, we were able to combine operations and cart storage in a central location; raise, move, and rehabilitate Woodruff Hall, and expand the administrative offices, pro shop, and locker rooms, while keeping the club’s traditional appearance on the limited site available. Additionally, this was all accomplished over one of the harshest Vermont winters seen in years.

Whites Pool

Updating of Whites Pool in Rutland, VT

Client: City of Rutland
Location: Rutland, Vermont
Completion Date: Spring, 2018

The City of Rutland, Whites Pool project consisted of a brand new competition and family pool with renovated bath and pump house.  The competition pool is approximately 75′ x 40′ with 5 lanes and a deep end diving board.  The family pool is a zero entrance with state of the art spray apparatuses and water slide.  The existing pool was drained and removed completely.  The pool infrastructure, plumbing/mechanical system is completely new including filtration and heater.  The bath house was completely gutted and renovated with new bathrooms and showers.  This project lasted about 11 months and was open in time for the summer season.

Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society

The CVUUs Meeting House is a newly renovated 5,000 sf space in the existing congregation.  We were hired as the Construction Manager to work with the design consultants and the Owner to help develop the documents and cost.  The meeting House included a fully operational kitchen with commercial exhaust hood and Ansul system, large meeting and gathering space, library, state of the art 2 stop elevator, bathrooms, storage and very elaborate stair tower to the first level, including modern glass railings.  The floor was designed with very stringent acoustical requirements, energy efficient window were installed for natural light, along with a new prefabricated exterior canopy and miscellaneous site improvements.  This project took about 5 months to complete.  The CVUUs Congregation loves the new meeting house and enjoys utilizing all the benefits of their new space!

Hinesburg Town Garage

The Town of Hinesburg Public Works Facility is a 12,000 sf structural steel building with an attached office and reception area.  The project included insulated metal siding panels, horizontal siding, polished concrete floors, vehicle lift, generator and state of the art mechanical and electrical systems.  The Architect designed Kalwall translucent panels above all overhead doors for added natural light into the work bays.  This project also included a pre-fabricated salt shed for winter storage.