If you're planning to update your facility, chances are you'll never confront the challenges Allessandro Zuccoli faced when he renovated the Sant' Agnese Tennis Club in Rome, Italy, last year.

The quiet, neighborhood club lay in the shadows of early Christian architecture dating back to 350 A.D. Zuccoli wanted to create the first American-style tennis club in Italy, but had to work around the religious and historical shrines and overcome 30 years of neglect.

Your own project may not be as elaborate or detailed, but the basic steps remain the same.

Step One: Hire a consultant
Tennis courts are only one part of a club's operation. Other issues are usually important if you want to design a successful facility. A consultant can provide a logical and orderly approach to improving your club. Global Consult Group, Inc., of Manasquan, N.J., devised a three point renovation for the Sant' Agnese club and facilities. First, Global identified a workable thematic concept for the project as a whole. Next, it focused on improving the actual site; then it considered the courts.

Step Two: Develop the project concept and program
A thematic concept clarifies the marketing thrust of the project and helps in later decisions about the "look" of the facility, including materials and colors for the site and buildings, the furniture and even the graphics for the brochures.

Zuccoli wanted to build a state-of-the-art training facility as well as a social family club. In response to these ideas, Global developed a "tennis garden" reminiscent of the renaissance villas of Rome's historic past. Now, the club blends into the neighborhood and nearby historic buildings without losing its ambiance as a place for serious tennis.

The site plan (above) represented the guiding image of the facility as it would be when the renovations were complete.

Step Three: The site improvement plan
A site improvement plan is the guiding document showing all improvements scheduled for the facility and how they are related and coordinated. It also is a useful tool in organizing the phasing of improvements considered too costly to be included in the initial work.

In preparing the site plan for the Sant' Agnese Club, Global first allocated space on the plan for each of the project program elements. Separate plans show the building improvements as well. Each program element translates into specific spatial and square meter requirements.

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(Next page illustrates specific improvements with dramatic before and after photos.)