Lafayette Club

Minnetonka, Minnesota

Owner:

Lafayette Club, Inc.

Architect:

Boarman Kroos Vogel Group, Inc.

Delivery Method:

General Contractor

Size:

22,555 sq. ft.

When Knutson won the opportunity to do a partial renovation to the “Grand Old Lady on the Lake,” they knew it would be an unusual project. The “Lady” is the century-old Lafayette Country Club and the project was part new addition, part renovation and part remodel. Knutson’s challenge was to aesthetically and functionally marry the old with the new, minimizing the impact of the construction on club members’ activities.

Original architectural drawings and plans for the plaster, clay tile and concrete facility no longer existed. The Knutson team didn’t know quite what to expect when they began taking the building apart and the structural surprises came early and often. They found themselves having to react to what they found within the old walls and make recommendations for adaptations to the owners on almost a daily basis.

In addition to two new dining areas, a new bar and lounge and a new state-of-the-art kitchen and prep area, the $3.5 million project included a basement storage facility for the club’s food and beverage operation and a service tunnel under the valet area with a hydraulic elevator for service staff. Relocation and centralization of administrative offices, previously located throughout the building, was also one of the objectives, as was the renovation of the entry lobby’s grand old staircase.