CHICAGO WHITE SOX VISITORS’ CLUBHOUSE
RETROFIT TEAM
ARCHITECT: Eastlake Studio
CABINET MANUFACTURER: Systems Unlimited Inc., (630) 285-0010
DISTRIBUTOR: Amerhart
MATERIALS
Built in 1994, the Chicago White Sox visitors’ clubhouse was due for an update. Working within Major League Baseball (MLB) guidelines and directed by the Illinois Sports Facility Authority, Eastlake Studio updated and expanded the 4,000-square-foot clubhouse with a new kitchen, lounge, video-replay technology and an enlarged MLB equipment room.
“This was an extensive remodel because we didn’t just use the layout of the existing space but completely demolished and rebuilt,” says Eastlake Studio Designer Amber Van Kley. “We reorganized the space to let it flow and function.”
With the season rapidly approaching, the Chicago White Sox needed to be quick, efficient and cost-effective with the clubhouse update. According to Van Kley, “Cost was always a factor. We needed to have good-looking and durable, high-quality products, but we also needed to be economical.”
Because of the strict lead-time and financial parameters, Van Kley recounts the team tried to salvage the lockers and other materials. The decision to rebuild was an unexpected change during the construction process. After much debate, Van Kley explains: “We just decided to use REHAU for everything—the lockers and other surfaces throughout the clubhouse. The project wasn’t originally supposed to be REHAU, but it added a lot of value to the design.”
Finding the perfect surface wasn’t easy. Van Kley recalls many options were presented until the executives decided to go with a wood look, using deeply textured RAUVISIO terra Mountain Oak. “The graining and texture of the RAUVISIO terra product is beautiful and looks like real wood,” Van Kley notes. “We convinced them that no one would know it wasn’t veneer.” The RAUVISIO terra Mountain Oak color also satisfied the team’s desire for a neutral design palette that coordinates with White Sox colors without over-branding.
The RAUVISIO terra surface was used to construct the lockers, wall panels in the shower area and video room, and for the cabinetry in the kitchen and shower area. Systems Unlimited fabricated and installed the components. The project used 195 laminate sheets, 51 by 120 by 0.035 inches, and matching adhesive-free REHAU LaserEdge, which was applied using a hot-air edgebander.
Unlike real wood, RAUVISIO terra is scratch-resistant and does not succumb to typical wear and tear. Rather than melamine paper, RAUVISIO terra is made from high-pressure laminate, which creates a deeply textured wood-grain surface that is durable. With the addition of REHAU LaserEdge technology, the RAUVISIO terra wall panels and doors have a seamless surface without visible joints.
Overall, the installation was easy, and the decision to incorporate the REHAU product proved to be successful. Completed one week before the home opener, the renovation of the visitors’ clubhouse came as a surprise to most people but was an instant triumph.
“We loved seeing the reactions when the visiting teams would come through the locker room,” Van Kley recalls.
RAUVISIO TERRA WITH REHAU LASEREDGE: REHAU
PHOTOS: REHAU