Good design honors tradition. Great design makes it relevant.
Gulf Harbour's clubhouse transformation needed to balance the club's beloved Tuscan-Mediterranean character with the realities of modern club life. Kenneth Hart, AIA, Managing Director of Peacock + Lewis's Naples office, brought three decades of private club experience to the renovation, applying what he calls a "contextualist" approach.
He doesn’t impose his own style. Instead, he studies each club's existing architecture, member preferences and lifestyle needs to create spaces that feel fresh and familiar.
"I'm not the type of architect that wants to come in and design my own building, my own style," Hart explains. "I really want to make sure that whatever we do fits within the context of the building we're designing for."
For Gulf Harbour, that meant preserving the warmth of Mediterranean design while incorporating technologies and flexible spaces that serve how members actually use their club today.
Hart's team begins long before any drawings are made. They spent years working with committees and leadership to develop a renovation plan that reflects what members actually want.
"I don't have a husband and a wife for a client. I've got 800 husbands and wives for clients," Hart says. "There's a lot of people you have to please and a lot of people you have to listen to."
The goal is consensus. Hart's team doesn't present a final plan until they're confident it will resonate deeply with the community. He does this through presenting concepts to membership and refining designs based on real feedback.
"You want to make sure that everyone's really happy about this, that the consensus is this is the right project, it's the right time and we're willing to pay for it," he notes
For Gulf Harbour members, this means the reimagined clubhouse reflects their input on everything from seating capacity to outdoor dining preferences. Decisions are made through surveys, town halls and ongoing conversations throughout the design process.
The Tuscan-Mediterranean architecture was challenging, yet engaging. Hart needed to preserve the warm, coastal character while incorporating technologies that make spaces more functional year-round.
He chose to use pergolas with rotating, modulating louvers that open during beautiful weather and close when rain or cooler temperatures arrive. He added space for radiant heaters and retractable screens to turn outdoor spaces into comfortable four-season rooms.
"No longer are we sitting in ballrooms and dining rooms with a glass wall looking out," Hart explains. "Now we can open a 30-foot wall of glass. You have the option of closing it if it's too cold, but using those features gives a club a lot more personality and functionality."
This approach respects Mediterranean design principles (courtyards, covered pergolas, natural ventilation) while delivering comfort and flexibility.
"Clubs really need a lot of flexibility in how they operate," Hart says. He has designed ballrooms that host evening galas and morning yoga classes. He's created dining areas with movable banquettes and tables that expand from four-tops to six-tops depending on the occasion.
Technology allows clubs to maximize square footage while adapting spaces for different uses.
These trends often set the tone for what happens elsewhere. Members travel extensively, experiencing resort amenities and hospitality innovations worldwide, then bringing those expectations home.
Gulf Harbour's renovation planning focused on a desire for more ways to connect: expanded dining capacity, year-round outdoor comfort spaces and flexible social areas that adapt to both intimate gatherings and larger celebrations.
Hart always seeks "the money shot." He designs spaces as backdrops for photos members will keep many years from now.
"What is that background that gives us the opportunity to say 10, 15, 20 years from now, people will look at it and say, 'That's Gulf Harbour. I know that place. I've been there'?"
For members, that moment might be sunset dining with nano-walls opened to waterside views, or gathering in spaces that seamlessly blend indoor comfort with outdoor ambiance. It's architecture designed for the memories made within it.
From the award-winning modern aesthetic at Telaro to the rustic post-and-beam craftsmanship of the hunting lodge at The Club at Quail Creek, each project creates distinct experiences members can't replicate at home.
"When they're here in Florida, we want to create an environment that makes them feel like they're someplace different," Hart says. "That makes them feel like, 'I can't wait to go back there because it was such a great place.'"
As Gulf Harbour's transformation continues, members can anticipate spaces designed with their input and their vision in mind—and a clubhouse that feels both timelessly elegant and unmistakably theirs.