Challenges & Solutions

Located on the top three floors of the Bank of America Center in Tulsa, OK, we had the absolute privilege of renovating The Summit Club, which takes up the entire 30th, 31st and 32nd floors. As the club is more of a social club instead of golf-focused, we had to strategize with a slightly different goal in mind.

The Summit Club of Tulsa was founded in 1967 and has a storied history that we wanted our design to honor. The mission of the renovation project was to update the club, bringing it into the 21st century by focusing on both the design and functionality of all three floors. In addition, reaching the younger generation of professionals and new members while elevating the club’s look was one of the top items on our list of goals. 

Top five major items that the team learned during the renovation

The restaurant at the club is known for Flambe-style cooking. Some of the complications that the team faced was getting approvals through the health and the fire and health departments to allow for this kind of cooking on the premises. Finding the solution for this particular situation was more difficult than anticipated. But because the flexibility of the Flambe carts and their ability to be wheeled around the restaurant, the team came up with an idea to create a parking space for the carts, allowing proper ventilation, which was a great solution to the obstacle.

In addition, the client requested us to design smoking rooms specifically for cigars. However, they posed a challenge because of the difficulty of balancing airflow. It was essential to eliminate any sensitive smoke that could potentially spread into other unwanted areas of the floor. In order to achieve this, we hired a mechanical contractor to ensure that the smoke was concealed. It was important on our end that we set clear and proper expectations of the end result for our client. 

Another challenge that we faced was, of course, the budget. Because of construction cost increases, we could not fully execute the client’s full scope. However, after finding more economical alternatives, we compromised and ensured that the client was satisfied in the end.

Typically working with golf clubs, we found that there are many similarities. Golf clubs and city clubs seem to have the same idea, modern design, relaxing atmosphere, great food, amazing drinks, and most importantly, wonderful members.

Lastly, it was extremely essential for the client to understand that change was coming. They had to look into the future with positivity and foresee what is best for the overall club growth.

The club is in downtown Tulsa and prides itself on providing an elite membership with a unique dining experience as well as an all-around social experience. The project was done in phases, the first phase consisted of renovating the 30th and 31st floors - providing a refreshed look to the club’s dining lounge as well as event and banquet spaces. 

The second phase of the project was the Penthouse (32nd) floor. The Penthouse provides members the ideal atmosphere and aesthetic to grab a drink with friends, relax and entertain guests, or sit at the high bar and gaze out at gorgeous Tulsa views.    BR

John Cochran founded ClubDesign Associates in 1992. ClubDesign Associates is located in Fort Worth, TX. For more information please call (817) 810-0333 or visit clubdesignassociates.com.

Erik Peterson AIA, is president at PHX Architecture. For more information please call (480) 477-1111 or visit phxarch.com.