Pool houses

Custom Home, Nov-Dec, 2002 by Shelley D. Hutchins

"Sun," emphasizes New York City-based architect Mark Ferguson, "You want to maximize the amount of sun you're going to get on a pool, so it would be a mistake to put the pool house on the south side of the pool." Consider shade also. There should be sufficient shaded areas for dining or whatever uses the clients have in mind. An outdoor heating element such as radiant heated flooring or a fireplace can double usage. Another important challenge is creating a barrier around the pool area that meets code while maintaining the flow of the site. Ample storage for pool equipment and furniture needs to be included and should be designed with daily use in mind, not just seasonal use. Changing areas must take into account who will be using them and how often. Then there's the kitchen question. Ferguson suggests asking clients: "Do you want to do the outdoor grill thing where the host will be cooking and mingling or do you want more of a staging area for caterers and early preparation?"

Okie Dokie

"The existing house was designed by renowned Philadelphia architect Brognard Okie, so I wanted to reflect the style, materials, and attention to detail exhibited in all of his projects," says architect Peter Zimmerman. Mahogany-framed pocket screen doors slide open to reveal a small kitchen and bath. Interior materials--white wood cabinets, antique brick flooring, dark granite countertops, and hand-forged iron hardware--highlight Okie's trademark palette. The hardy Pennsylvania fieldstone exterior is juxtaposed with delicate wood elements. Board-and-batten siding extends into a 1-inch groove in the stone walls. A back entrance leads to the mechanical room with extra space for storage. Builder: Venuti Construction, Drexel Hill, Pa.; Architect: Peter Zimmerman Architects, Berwyn, Pa.; Size: 400 square feet.

Trellised Treat

"These [pool houses] can be little architectural gems," says David Poulton, architect and builder. His clients originally asked for a conservatory, but after much discussion they all agreed that a building featuring poolside storage, changing rooms, bathroom, kitchenette, and a built-in grill would be more useful. Not giving up entirely on the glass house idea, Poulton speced wall-to-wall windows. Local Lannon stone, cedar shingle roofing, a copper-topped cupola, and a cedar trellis address the owners' request for a low-maintenance structure that won't have to be closed up in the winter. A heated slab prevents pipes from freezing. The outdoor grill sits in a masonry bay for protection, but the recessed design also frees up deck space and opens sight lines. Builder/Architect: The Poulton Group, Lake Forest, Ill.; Size: 550 square feet.

Federal Case

The homeowners wanted to offset the introverted rooms of their meticulously restored Federal house with extroverted airy spaces that open to a pool. The resulting addition upholds the 150-year-old home's style, plus serves as the family's summer haven outfitted with an exercise room, kitchen, living/dining area, and three-car garage. Bluestone pavers form a continuous floor starting with a walk way at the main house, morphing into the floor of the pool house, and then decking the pool. Visual clues, like a hipped roof, five-piece crown molding, white beadboard ceilings, and freestanding columns, tie the buildings together. Architect William Soupcoff chose mahogany to frame the screened walls because the wood holds up well in wet areas, and its strength allowed minimal framing in order to maximize views and breezes. "It was a challenge to create a building contemporary in function that melded with 19th-century style," explains Soupcoff. Builder: A.E. Fecteau Contractors, Newbury, Mass.; Architect : TMS Architects, Portsmouth, N.H.; Landscape architect Holzaepfel Design, Portsmouth; Size: 2,650 square feet.

Country Charisma

Twin pavilions connected by a shady pergola stand watch over this southeast Connecticut pool garden. One building houses mechanical equipment, storage, and laundry facilities. The other offers a changing room, shower, and a place to grab a snack or drink. The shady patio in between features a grill that can be easily stocked via the kitchen service window. The heated pool is lined with gray plaster to provide a reflective quality; coupled with a spa and four square ponds, it makes the entire area into a water garden. The American Georgian pavilions are composed of rough fieldstone, painted wood, brick, and slate. While the style is formal, the owners wanted a relaxed feeling that acknowledges the 75-acre property as a weekend country retreat. "By using painted wood siding in an ashlar stone pattern rather than real stone," says architect Mark Ferguson, "we were able to sustain a balance between formality and informality." Builder: MJC/JSK Construction, White Plains, N.Y.; Architect: Ferguson Shamamian & Rattner, New York City;, Landscape designer: Deborah Nevins, New York City;, Size: 670 square feet.