Surber Barber Choate & Hertlein

Biltmore Forest Country Club

Asheville, North Carolina

Carved out of the world famous Biltmore Estate on the outskirts of Asheville, North Carolina in the 1920s by a member of the Vanderbilt family, this beautiful clubhouse nestled in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains was starting to show it's age and the building no longer functioned as a modern facility. In 2001 Surber Barber Choate & Hertlein Architects, Inc. was asked to prepare a Master Plan for the renovation and expansion of the club.

The main goals of the Master Plan were to upgrade and modernize the dining and food service functions of the club, create new casual and formal lounges, relocate and enlarge the fitness center, relocate and enlarge the administrative offices, add new casual dining and kitchen, provide laundry and storage facilities within the clubhouse, and upgrade the clubhouse to meet current ADA and fire codes by connecting the various floors and levels of the clubhouse with elevators and new exit stairs. In addition to these objectives the design team was to be very sympathetic to the existing architectural style of "English Country Estate".

With the programming complete, a third of the club was demolished and a three-story building addition was added. The lower level contains employee facilities, a bakery, storage, a wine room and laundry facilitie. The main level consists of a large casual dining space with a fireplace, private dining rooms, casual and formal lounges, the main kitchen, and a dining porch with fireplace. The upper floor contains a new fitness center, offices, and a private meeting room which is served by the kitchen via the elevator.

Client: Biltmore Forest Country Club

Completion: 2002 (Master Plan) & 2007 Implementation

All Images © Gabriel Benzur Photography