Tall windows, bare brick, and wooden floors glittered with shrapnel from the factory work that once filled its walls attracted a mishmash of artists, designers, and dreamers to reoccupy the once vacant California Cotton Mill wedged between freeway and train tracks walkable only to taco trucks via bridge. BYOB campfires evolved into a travelling bar cart, then loft-to-loft happy hours, and eventually a once-monthly open studios event featuring fashion shows, performances, and a design bazaar. The next step seemed crazy, but felt natural: rent a storefront, gather the designers, builders, and artists to collaboratively build a city, and open to the public as the first indoor mini golf course.
The 2010 campfire idea started a project that’s followed us throughout our career. A handful of landlord pitches and a few locations throughout the Bay Area all led to finally finding the perfect location for a new flagship course in Alameda. Jumping off a slew of pandemic store closures, including hundreds of Walgreens stores, a beautiful brick shell with uncompromising ceiling height and giant arched windows became available for a fantastic price and unmatched lease terms.
Each element is a unique addition created by a mix of creatives. The Cotton Mill’s game collector regularly updates the arcade. The Cotton Mill’s metalworker built a 15’ Rube Goldberg-esque ball sorter. A few of the sculptures were repurposed from the original course and a dozen new were created by an eclectic mix of artists, young and old.
The game concludes at the bonus 19th hole, where a simple plinth offers the course’s most prominent location to local artists in residence. The fun continues with offerings such as billiards posed alongside booth seating, an extensive arcade with free short plays, a full kitchen with bar service, and community rooms inviting gatherings from the community.
Once a conveniently located Walgreens pharmacy, the building now has a new life as an indoor miniature golf course in the heart of Alameda’s social hub. With easy access to public transit and bike-friendly streets, its new use is a great fit for this lively and well-connected neighborhood.
Walls were torn down to expose 14 giant arched windows pouring daylight into the space and connecting the neighborhood to the activity inside. A pharmacy drive-through window transformed into an indoor/outdoor bar and its accompanying driveway into a beer garden flush with potted plants concealing utilities and seamlessly transitioning to existing rain gardens. Exterior planting was pulled inside via new planter boxes around the perimeter of the interior.
Existing features such as over 90% of the lighting, the concrete slab, awning structures, toilet locations, and white painted roof structure were fit into the design to reduce cost and save resources. Back of house walls demolished, drawing the course all the way though the space and connecting to the sidewalk on all four sides.
The procession into Subpar begins with a playful reception structure. The food court is immediately visible and adjacent to the reception desk. The course begins adjacent to the food pick-up, as well as a brightly colored meandering pathway that carries customers directly to an eye-catching all-gender restroom entry portal. To the right, an alternative path bypasses the typical starting point and heads to the billiards, loungy booth seating, and arcade. Game passes and pool cues can be picked up on the way without queuing for golf.
Something about miniaturization brings joy, playfulness and wonder to the world. We wanted to communicate both the tradition of golf as well as the imaginative world of miniature golf.
The layout of the space takes a large outdoor golf park, miniaturizes it, and brings it indoors. Green flooring adjoining the turf holes and live plants around its perimeter create the indoor park.
Allusions to golf culture are incorporated with a playful tone. Argyle supergraphics on the walls are repeated in the shape of the reception desk’s roof structure. Glowing white spheres akin to golf balls mark stopping points along the procession: reception, bar, restrooms, and billiards. Framed artwork offers a laugh with golf-themed reinterpretations of classic paintings. Large archways mimic the tunnel entry of the classic miniature golf obstacle.
Playful design features encourage a playful spirit. Wood trusses throughout the space reminiscent of scale-models feel like climbing structures. Pendant cords wrapped and tied in knots feel hand made. Bright colors create energy atop the white backdrop, while helping to define the area of the golf course, the arcade, and the bar.
A constant play on scale, miniaturized landmarks, oversized graphics and human-sized toys, create delight around every corner.
Built-in features provide a variety of options for varying group sizes and gathering types. Date night continues at the bar, friends squeeze into booth seating, a birthday party pulls together tables in the open dining area, and family friends spread out in the outdoor lounge.
With creative adjacencies, a simple folding room partition allows for 5 configurations of varying group size in the party rooms and upwards of 8 configurations across the space as a whole, accommodating groups from 4 to 300+.
Tables in the dining area can be reserved for small groups of 4-14. Two party rooms accommodate small groups (15-20), medium-sized groups (20-30), or a combined 30-50 person gathering. The rooms open to the beer garden, doubling capacity to 100 and providing direct access to a loading zone. A full buyout accommodates 300+ guests.
A centrally located kitchen connects directly to the party rooms for catering. The kitchen also opens toward reception, the course, and the beer garden.
We divided the restroom by function and privacy level instead of by gender. Toilets are accessible without inquiry, clearly identified through its architecture with two axial arches framing the hand-washing sinks and a custom All Gender accessibility sign. Access to a hand washing station is provided without entering the restroom.
Beyond the vestibule, a hall of fully-enclosed All Gender personal restrooms and additional semi-private sinks for clean up or personal care are placed in a more discreet location. Accessible and family-sized restrooms exceed ADA requirements and an accessible baby-changing station is tucked into an arched nook for extra privacy.
We exceeded requirements to provide a 100% accessible golf course and dining area.
Benches placed throughout the course allow elderly and tired parents to rest without missing out on the game. Step stools and tyke-sized fixtures allow youngsters to engage independently. Booth seats at the billiards provide the perfect teen hideaway and the beer garden offers reprieve for those who want a break from the games in a peaceful garden setting.
Technology has promoted social isolation with personal use devices. Gaming, traditionally thought of as isolating, becomes a community experience through the arcade and carnival type games, which promote teamwork and shared experience.
