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Architects present two options for Westborough golf clubhouse; committee raises scale and renovation risks
Summary
The Town of Westborough Municipal Building Committee heard architects present two packages — an all‑new two‑story clubhouse and a renovation/addition centered on the historic farmhouse — and discussed massing, mechanical metering, foundation unknowns and cost‑estimation approach.
Architects presented two distinct approaches for the Town of Westborough’s golf clubhouse: a new two‑story building with a basement to serve storage, mechanicals and restaurant space, and a renovation/addition that preserves the historic front gable and porch while replacing or extending the rear volumes.
At the meeting on Aug. 22, the design team said the new‑build option includes a basement with roughly 8‑foot ceilings, first‑floor public spaces (pro shop, foyer, bathrooms) and a second‑floor restaurant and function room designed to seat about 60 people for banquets. Floor‑to‑floor heights were described at 10 feet, producing about 9‑foot first‑floor ceilings; the ridgeline was estimated at roughly 31 feet from grade. The architects said they will produce 3‑D modeling and renders so the committee can judge massing in site context.
Committee members repeatedly raised concern that the new‑build option looks large when viewed as a flat elevation. One member described it as “enormous,” prompting architects to emphasize the value of the site‑context model and to point out façade articulation, stepped gables and porches intended to reduce perceived scale.
On the renovation option, the design team proposed retaining and restoring the historic front gable and porch while removing and rebuilding the volumes behind it, with a new basement or crawl space and a separate pro shop and restaurant. The architects warned, and committee members agreed, that the stone foundation and hidden structural elements create unknowns that can drive change orders; the team said estimators would assume conservative (worst‑case) conditions so pricing avoids later surprises.
The presentation covered construction method options — panelized prefabrication versus traditional stick‑built — and the team said it will return cost comparisons for both approaches. Architects also discussed multiple entrance options to allow direct access to the pro shop from the course, separate metering strategies for the pro shop and the restaurant, and options for dividing the second‑floor function room from dining space.
The architects and committee agreed on next steps: provide square‑footage breakdowns, occupancy loads, and a core‑and‑shell cost estimate for both build options; produce higher‑quality model renders for review in site context; and return with prefab versus stick‑built pricing. The committee asked that data be prepared to help inform a later RFP and leasing discussion.
The meeting closed with a request that the design team provide consultant names and cost estimates for a restaurant consultant, and with instructions to leave copies of presentation materials for absent members.
