Download 4 ARCHITECTURAL ASPECTS OF GOLF COURSE SERVICE

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4.1
ARCHITECTURAL ASPECTS OF GOLF COURSE SERVICE BUILDINGS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN The aim of a golf course is to provide golfers and visitors a unique, challenging, memorable and fun golfing as well as non‐golfing experience. This should all happen in a naturally beautiful area, ensuring that the environment is protected, cared for and appreciated by present and future generations. The design of the golf course should be conducive to: (a)
Bringing people in contact with the unique, existing features, biodiversity and ecology of the site, working with the land (b)
Highlighting the natural features of the site, for example: watercourses, grasslands and high value vegetation in such a way to protect, preserve and enhance these naturally occurring biodiversity and habitats (c)
Ensuring that the ecological health of the site is improved where the golf course comes into contact with those sensitive areas so that underground, endemic or otherwise sensitive and high‐value species are preserved by relocating them in areas where they will not be disturbed (translocation). (d)
Providing a fair challenge to all levels of golfers; while being limited to defined areas, the impact of the golf course on the natural state of the site will be minimal and manageable, and on the other hand will be beneficial in many aspects (e)
Routing of the golf course to allow players and visitors to walk through the course, should they prefer not to ride in golf carts. This principle will ensure that the course follows the contours. Such an approach will provide the golfers the opportunity of enjoying the natural setting within the site, and the scenic views outside the site The whole concept of the Avalon Golf course will not be about golfing and scoring only, but will be comparable and compatible to a walk in nature through a nature trail, and ultimately an experience for all the senses and hours of incomparable therapy. The golfers should leave the course with an irresistible urge to come back and experience it again. 4.2
THE ARCHITECTS The golf course has been designed by the world – reknown designer Peter Matkovich who has been involved in the design of world renowned golf courses around the world of which the following are the landmarks: Pinnacle Point, Arabella Golf Club, Silver Lakes, Umhlali in South Africa and Bel Ombre in Mauritius, to name but a few. The supporting amenities (service buildings) for the Avalon golf course and country club will comprise of: club house, sport facilities, reception area, bar, offices, food and beverage outlets, leisure facilities, etc, and have been designed by the experienced Mauritian architect firm Lampotang and Siew. 4.3
ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT LAYOUT The Avalon Golf estate project will comprise of: (i)
An 18‐hole golf championship course with 72 par, fairways/ greens occupying approximately 15 hectares spread over 75 hectares of lush gardens, opens spaces, rivers, ravines offering exceptional scenery to players (ii) A reception area including sales office (iii) A club house of basement and GF + 1 configuration (iv) Golf playing support amenities such as practice ball booth, cart area, half‐way house (v) Food and beverage facilities such as a restaurant, bar, barbecue area (vi) Leisure areas including a multi‐facility hall, children’s playground and a swimming pool (vii) Sport amenities such as tennis courts, basket ball, petanque (viii) A maintenance building, incorporating back‐of‐house facilities, store, equipment room, mess room facilities for the working personnel etc. (ix) Parking area offering 176No parking lots As can be seen from the Massing Plan enclosed at Annex 4A at the end of Section 4, the Avalon golf course estate has been orientated in a circular layout with all the facilities located towards the northern part of the site, close to the main entrance. 4.4
DRIVEWAY ENTRANCE The driveway entrance leads onto the security booth which in turn leads to the reception area, sales office and club house. The driveway will branch off from an existing track road, 3.00 metres wide which will be tarred, upgraded and widened to 7.00 metres. The existing track road links up to the Grand Bassin Road B88 from which it branches off, and which will be used as the main road leading to the site. The driveway also links to the 2No car parks situated on both sides of the main entrance as shown on the Golf Layout/Massing Plan enclosed at Annex 4A at the end of Section 4. The car parks located on both sides of the entrance will have a total capacity of 176No parking lots. The driveway will be paved and properly landscaped with endemic, high‐value ornamental plants and flowers, with the intention of setting the natural environment trend and “ambiance”. 4.5
GATEKEEPER/SECURITY 4.5.1
Main Gate House The main gatekeeper house/security post as shown on the General Massing Plan at Annex 4A will be located at the main entrance for the control of incoming and outgoing cars, as well as to provide accommodation to the security guards who will be present at the golf site round the clock. The artistic drawing offering a more realistic perspective of the proposed main gate post is enclosed at Annex 4B at the end of this section. The layout, section and elevation drawings of the main gatekeeper providing architectural details about the main gatekeeper booth located near to the main entry/exit entrance are also enclosed at Annex 4B at the end of this section. 4.5.2
Secondary Gate Houses 2No secondary gate keeper houses have been posted along the secondary entrances to the site to control access to the golf course. The secondary gate houses have been posted at entrances of the golf courses, along the public road generally taken by pilgrims during Maha Shivratree and other festivities when heading towards Grand Bassin. This secondary public route will be upgraded to provide a better access to pilgrims – as a social contribution afforded by the project. In this respect, the promoter will liaise with the relevant target groups in due course, after obtention of the EIA Licence. The layout, section and elevation drawings of the secondary gatekeeper post have been enclosed at Annex 4C at the end of Section 4. The artistic drawing offering a more realistic perspective of the proposed secondary gate post is also enclosed at Annex 4C at the end of this section. 4.6
18‐HOLE GOLF COURSE The golf course and its in‐depth technical details have been extensively described at Section 5 of the EIA Report entitled “Technical Characteristics of Golf Course” to which the reader is referred. 4.7
SALES OFFICE Once within the premises of the Avalon golf course estate, the member or player will proceed to the sales office where the golf course is managed by providing facilities for: (i)
Registration of members and players (ii)
(iii)
Payment of the necessary dues, contributions, membership fees etc. Explanation of rules and regulations, and issue of utilization manuals and amenity pamphlets etc. The artistic drawing allowing a more realistic view of the proposed sales office house is enclosed at Annex 4D at the end of Section 4. The sales office, of a total surface area of 153m2, and of ground floor only configuration will encompass: ƒ A reception area ƒ A waiting area ƒ Offices ƒ Store ƒ Toilets The floor layout plan, sections and elevations of the sales offices are also enclosed at Annex 4D at the end of Section 4. 4.8
CLUB HOUSE The club house, of a total area of 1800m2, has been designed to comprise of a basement, a ground floor and a first floor. The layout of the club house will be as follows: (a)
(b)
Basement Level of area 768m2 will encompass: ƒ
Gents and ladies changing rooms/toilets opening onto a decorative secret garden ƒ
Offices for golf manager, caddy master ƒ
Waiting area/Club cleaning area ƒ
Golf bag and trolley store ƒ
Staff toilets and changing rooms ƒ
Convenience store ƒ
Golf carts area offering parking for 39No carts Ground Floor of area 850m2 will harbour: ƒ
Lounge area ƒ
TV area ƒ
Restaurant with associated kitchen, stores, washing, food preparation, etc ƒ
Bar ƒ
Offices for manager and administration ƒ
Administrative office ƒ
Shop (c)
ƒ
Swimming pool ƒ
Barbecue area ƒ
Toilets First Floor of area 182m2 will provide: ƒ
Boardroom ƒ
Multipurpose/Hall/Games room The artistic drawings allowing a more realistic view of the proposed club house are enclosed at Annex 4E at the end of Section 4. The basement, ground and first floor layout plans as well as the sections and elevations of the club house have been enclosed at Annex 4F at the end of this section. 4.9
GOLF PLAYING SUPPORT AMENITIES The support amenities which will enable players to start and finish the game are: 4.9.1
ƒ
Practice ball area and practice booth ƒ
Cart Area ƒ
Half Way House Practice Ball Area and Booth The practice ball booth will be used for the delivery of practice balls to the golfers. The practice area, located close to the sod farm will enable beginners to practice their swing. It will help professional golfers to warm up eventually before the start of a game. It will also be used by trainers offering golf training to interested beginners. An artistic impression of the practice ball booth is enclosed at Annex 4G at the end of this section. The architectural layout, section and elevation of the practice booth are also enclosed at Annex 4G at the end of Section 4. 4.9.2
Half –Way House The half‐way house, as its name suggests, will provide a refreshing area to golfers after nine holes, allowing them to rest, have an energy‐boosting drink, and refresh themselves before resuming and tackling the last nine holes. The half‐way house has been located towards the southern part of the golf course, in‐
between fairways No 9 and No 10, as shown on the General Massing Plan enclosed at Annex 4A at the end of Section 4. The half‐way house, of GF configuration, will comprise of: ƒ rest area ƒ bar ƒ toilets The artistic drawings allowing a more realistic view of the proposed half‐way house are enclosed at Annex 4H at the end of Section 4. The layout, section and elevations of the half‐way house are also enclosed at Annex 4H at the end of this section. 4.9.3
Cart Area 121No carts will be provided to players to allow them to move around the playfield. Those carts will be parked at dedicated cart areas which have been located at several spots within the project site as shown on the General Massing Plan enclosed at Annex 4A at the end of this section. 3No cart areas will be included in the golf project design: ƒ
A first cart area, offering parking space for 36No carts, has been located close to the club house ƒ
A second cart area, offering parking space for 37No carts, has been located close to the practice booth ƒ
A third cart area, offering parking for 48No carts has been positioned within the maintenance building as can be observed from the maintenance floor layout building enclosed at Annex 4J at the end of this section The golf carts will be electrically driven – hence no consumption of petrol or diesel will be induced ‐ rendering them environmentally compliant. 4.9.4
Shelter and Toilets Shelter and toilets have been included in the overall golf design to enable players to hide from unexpected rain during the game and also refresh themselves. 2No shelters have been conspicuously located along the fairways: ƒ 1No shelter in‐between fairways No 5 and No 6 ƒ 1No shelter at the end of fairway No 12 The artistic impression drawing as well as the architectural layout, section and elevation of the shelters have been enclosed at Annex 4I at the end of Section 4. 4.10
FOOD AND BEVERAGE FACILITIES The food and beverage amenities have been located within the ground floor of the club house, as observed from the ground floor plan of the club house enclosed at Annex 4F at the end of Section 4. The F&B amenities will comprise of: ƒ Restaurant ƒ Bar ƒ Kitchen ƒ Storage areas ƒ Barbecue area 4.10.1 Restaurant The restaurant, of area 102m2 and situated within the ground floor of the club house, will offer elegant and comfortable access and dining tables with a suggestive decorative theme and ambiance. It will be proposing a variety of meals and drinks to the members of the club and the golfers. The restaurant will be backed by essential amenities for example food preparation area of 7m2, washing area of 7m2, kitchen of area 34m2 as well as stores. 4.10.2 Bar The bar will provide a comfortable and friendly area for the consumption of alcoholic and non‐alcoholic beverages. It is located annexed to the restaurant area and will offer the facility of serving beverages either directly to the public or through waiters. The bar and the restaurant situated at the ground floor level of the club house are as shown on the floor layout plan drawing enclosed at Annex 4F. 4.10.3 Barbecue Area A barbecue area located next to the swimming pool will offer the right spot for cooking of grilled meat and vegetables which will thereafter be served at the restaurant. 4.11
LEISURE AND SPORT FACILITIES Leisure facilities have been provided and will be targeting non‐golfers for example accompanying wives and children. The facilities which will be offered are: ƒ Swimming pool ƒ Children’s playground ƒ A multi‐purpose hall which can be converted into a games room during the day and into a wedding reception hall at night ƒ TV room ƒ Lounge ƒ Sport facilities 4.11.1 Sport Facilities The golf estate has made provision for sport facilities such as tennis courts, basketball and petanque fields to allow “non‐golfer” players to keep fit while waiting for golf players to finish their game trail. 4.12
MAINTENANCE BUILDING As can be seen from the Massing Plan enclosed at Annex 4A, the maintenance building encompassing stores and workshop has been positioned at the entrance of the site, away from the club house so as not to disturb the daily operation of the front‐of‐house areas. The maintenance building, of GF configuration, will include: ƒ Golf carts parking area for 48 carts ƒ M&E area ƒ Staff changing room ƒ Staff mess room ƒ Chemicals storage area ƒ Garden tools store ƒ Flags, markers, signage store ƒ Green keeper’s office The artistic impression drawing as well as the architectural layout, section and elevation of the maintenance building have been enclosed at Annex 4J. The components of the maintenance building will comprise of the following: Golf Cart Area M&E Area Chemicals Storage Area ‐ To provide secure storage of golf carts and space for carts to manoeuvre for the purpose of carrying golfers to and from the fairways ‐ Where all the pumps, electrical mains, generator, etc have been located to facilitate control, monitoring, and checking in case of breakdown and repair. All items of equipment have been regrouped in one central area for efficient management, and maintenance. ‐ To provide secure storage of all fertilizers and pesticides 4.12.1 Workshop At the maintenance workshop, daily repairs of broken appliances, equipment and furniture will be carried out. Furthermore, this area will be used for storing of maintenance materials, small tools and equipment. 4.12.2 Mechanical/Electrical Area These centralised technical areas have been provided within the maintenance building area for the equipment that provides major mechanical services to the golf course amenities and back‐up. The mechanical/electrical room encompassing items of equipment such as transformers, generators, control panels, chillers, boilers, etc will thus be located within the maintenance area. The mechanical room will be provided with large enough exterior doors to allow replacement of equipment, such as boiler tubes and plant units. By virtue of their location within the maintenance building (Annex 4J refers), noise‐producing machinery will thus be confined to a dedicated and specific area of the golf course estate, remote from the “front‐of‐house” amenities such as reception area and club house. For fire protection purposes, recessed metal cabinets for fire hoses, fire extinguishers, will be provided, as well as fire alarms and appropriate exit signs. The mechanical units, which are normally required for golf course (and support logistics) operations are: generators, transformers, boilers (for restaurant), chillers, pumps, heat exchangers, air handling units, air supply and exhaust fans, compressors, storage tanks, automatic control equipment, meters and gauges. All these units will be enclosed within the technical/electrical area within the maintenance building which is remote from the “front‐office” area. 4.13
GARBAGE AND WASTE AREA All solid wastes gathered from the restaurant, bar and other service areas will be conveyed to the bins within the central garbage area located towards the northern part of the site, close to the driveway entrance, for easy collection by garbage lorries. The back‐of‐house area where the garbage area has been positioned is shown on the Back‐of‐House Layout plan enclosed at Annex 4K at the end of Section 4. 4.14
COMPOST PLANT As an environmental measure and in compliance with the government promulgated “MID” strategy, the biodegradable kitchen wastes and the green wastes arising from the maintenance of the landscaped areas of the hotel will be composted. The composting process operations will be kept as simple as possible. Pre‐fabricated plastic compost bins known as “Green Bins” will be utilized in the required quantity, and placed within the compost plant area. The positioning of the compost plant within the back‐of‐house area is shown on the Back‐of‐House Layout plan enclosed at Annex 4K at the end of Section 4. 4.15
TRANSFORMER ROOM The transformer room housing the transformer and stand‐by generators will be located towards the northern boundary, close to the maintenance building as can be observed from the Back‐of‐House Layout Plan enclosed at Annex 4K at the end of this section. The drawing showing the layout, section and elevation of the transformer unit is enclosed at Annex 4L at the end of Section 4. 4.16
PARKING AREA The access to the parking area, positioned close to the main entrance, will be asphalted in pre‐mixed asphaltic concrete, and appropriately marked with road marking to offer simple and easy direction to users. The project caters for 2No parking lots offering a total capacity of 176 parking lots for the operation of the facility during its operational phase. The access from the driveway, through the security post, leading to the car parks will be properly landscaped with fully grown and mature trees for proper shade and positive visual and appreciative impact. Each parking lot will be 5.0 metres by 2.5 metres. 4.17
AESTHETIC AND ENVIRONMENT The beauty of the golf course estate will rely on the landscaping elements and accesses which are required to structure the whole design. 4.17.1 Use of Local Natural Materials All materials and building techniques will be chosen to be as ecologically‐friendly as possible. Local materials, such as masonry stone, natural and rough timber, bamboo, etc will be extensively used in the construction of the buildings and the fitting out of the golf course generally. 4.18
SURFACE AREAS The indicative floor areas of the various project functional buildings are enclosed at Annex 4M at the end of Section 4. The plot coverage is calculated at sub‐section 4.19.3, Section 4, to which the reader is referred. These buildings, including their shapes and dimensions, have been designed to meet the requirements of existing planning guidelines applicable to golf development. 4.19
BUILDING HEIGHT, DENSITY AND CHARACTER 4.19.1 Development Height The overall architectural massing of the golf estate will incorporate GF and GF + 1 buildings. This is because it is of vital important that the buildings should blend harmoniously into the natural landscape and not create any negative visual impact. 4.19.2 Summary of Heights The heights of the various buildings have been reproduced in Table 4‐1 below. Table 4‐1: Building Height Support Amenity Configuration Height (metres) ƒ
Main gate house GF 3.4 ƒ
Secondary gate house GF 2.9 ƒ
Sales Office GF+1 3.9 ƒ
Club House GF 9.0 ƒ
Practice Booth GF 2.6 ƒ
Half‐Way House GF 3.4 ƒ
Shelter & Toilets GF 3.0 ƒ
Maintenance Building GF 4.6 The drawings enclosed at Annexes 4B, 4C, 4D, 4F, 4G, 4H, 4I and 4J at the end of Section 4 show respectively the elevation of the proposed buildings. 4.19.3 Plot Coverage The calculations regarding the plot coverage are given below: •
Total Building Footprint Area.…………………..………1,780m2 •
Total area of land………………………………………………229,944m2 •
Hence plot coverage is 0.8% approximately 1%. Such a plot coverage evidently ensures a minimal visual impact created by the buildings. The schedule of areas for the golf course estate has been enclosed at Annex 4M at the end of Section 4. 4.19.4 Development Character Local materials will be extensively used and building techniques will be as ecologically‐friendly as possible with a sloping roof of GF+1 building (see sub‐section 4.17). Colours of the various buildings of the site and the different areas of the complex will be selected to achieve a perfect matching. 4.20
SET‐BACK AND BUILDING LINES 4.20.1 Setback from Road As per the PPG stipulations, set‐backs from roads should normally be 6m from any main road, 4.5m from any adjoining minor road and relaxed to 3 metres in the case of lightly trafficked road. A minimum setback of 3 metres from the gate post bordering the access road has been respected as can be seen from the Massing Plan enclosed at Annex 4B at the end of Section 4. 4.20.2 Boundary Set‐Backs The PPG recommends that the setback from side and rear boundaries should be 3.0 metres. A minimum of 3.0 metres has been allowed along the boundary site as can be observed from the Massing Plan enclosed at Annex 4A at the end of Section 4. 4.20.3 Setback from River River Reserves as defined by the Forests and Reserves Act mean: (a)
where there is an escarpment, the land extending from the edge of a watercourse to the top of the escarpment; (b)
where there is no escarpment, the land extending from the edge of a watercourse to a distance measured on the horizontal plane – ƒ
in the case of a river, of 16 metres; ƒ
in the case of a rivulet, of 8 metres; ƒ
in the case of a feeder, of 3 metres.” It is worth noting that all the rivers and feeders crossing the site are relatively deeply incised so that provision (a) above applies. The set‐back of the support amenities from the closest river, rivulet or feeder is given in the table below. Table 4‐2: Setback from Rivers Support Amenity ƒ
Main gate house ƒ
Closest River Set‐Back Feeder Rivet 352 metres
Secondary gate house Feeder Cresson 16 metres
ƒ
Sales Office Feeder Edmond 215 metres
ƒ
Club House Feeder Edmond 98 metres
ƒ
Practice Booth Feeder Cresson 253 metres
ƒ
Half‐Way House Feeder Enterrement 393 metres
ƒ
Half‐Way House Feeder Beau Bois 330 metres
ƒ
Shelter & Toilets No 1 Water Canal 62 metres
ƒ
Shelter & Toilets No 2 Feeder Cresson 44 metres
ƒ
Maintenance Building Feeder Cresson 210 metres
The set‐back of the amenities is shown on the Massing Plan enclosed at Annex 4A at the end of this section. 4.20.3.1 Setback of Fairways from Water Bodies A minimum set‐back of 30metre has been allowed between the fairways and the water bodies as can be evidenced from the Massing Plan enclosed at Annex 4A at the end of this section. This buffer will ensure that there is adequate vegetation zone between the fairways and water bodies so as to: ƒ
Trap and filter nutrients, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, insecticides, animal wastes and sediments, preventing them from reaching the water courses ƒ
Stabilize the river and feeder embankments and prevent their erosion ƒ
Provide shade to ensure a cool prevalent water in the water bodies ƒ
Provide habitat for wildlife and for threatened and endangered plants and animals. ƒ
Enhance and provide large woody debris for aquatic habitats ƒ
Provide a food source for aquatic organisms in the water bodies and their banks. The minimum set‐back of 30metres allowed as described above is twice the 16‐metre set‐back from rivers stipulated by the Forests and Reserves Act 1983 and in line with the 30metre set‐back stipulated by The Rivers and Canals Act 1863. 4.20.4 Setback from Borehole The OPS states that no development should be permitted within a 200metre radius of a borehole or spring without consultation and prior written approval of the WRU/MEPU. This guideline will be observed when deciding on the final siting of the borehole, with a view to complying with this OPS provision. 4.21
WALLS, FENCES AND WIND‐BREAKERS A peripheral wall will be constructed along the site boundaries. The height of the peripheral fencing will vary between 2.6 metres to 3.0 metres. 4No types of boundary wall/fencing as described below will be erected round the site: ƒ
Boundary Wall Type 1 comprising of a 2.4 metre high betafence with 0.6 metres electric wire ƒ
Boundary Wall Type 2 comprising of a 2.00 metre high stone wall with 0.6 metres electric wire ƒ
Boundary Wall Type 3 comprising of a 2.00 metre high block wall with 0.6 metres electric wire ƒ
Boundary Wall Type 4 comprising of a 2.00 metre high block wall with a 0.6 metres electric wire The electric wire on top of the boundary wall will be electrified with a 12‐volt triggering current so as to act as deterrent to any intruders, on the one hand while not constituting a life‐threatening hazard on the other hand. The elevation drawings for the different type of boundary walls and fencing are enclosed at Annex 4N at the end of this section. 4.22
ROAD, PARKING AND PLANT The access road and the entrance to and exit from the site will be 7 metres wide and will be moreover provided with 2.0metre‐wide road reserves. The Avalon parking area will be constructed out of premixed asphaltic concrete and the entrance/exit will be double‐way. Each parking lot will be 5m x 2.5m. The parking space will be provided with the required turning space to enable cars to exit in forward gear. A total parking for 176vehicles will be provided in the 2No parking areas; parking over lawns will also be available for staff and visitors. All the parking spaces will be provided with night lighting and will be situated approximately at a minimum set‐back of 220 metres from the closest river which is Feeder Rivet.