Sisters Retreat Pool House
Photography by Hester + Hardaway & JH Jackson.
Office Project Team: Mell Lawrence, Kim Furlong, Krista Whitson, & John Castore
Contractor: Phase 1- Burkhalter Builder
Phase 2- C.L. Carson, Inc.
Structural Engineer: Structures, Shane Tanner, P.E
Two parallel hypostyle halls -- one covered by a steel trellis, the other enclosed --frame two sisters' shared family pool house and play area on a semi-rural site. The house sits amongst a small family compound of homes and includes a small kitchen, bath, and a lounge that open to an outdoor fireplace, patio and bocci ball court.
A simple vocabulary of concrete, wood, glass and steel create an environment rich in texture that forms a highly controlled patterning device that animates the spaces with sun and shade throughout the day.
To reinforce the grid, all construction was held off columns by twelve inches, allowing the enclosed areas to seemingly float in the interstitial spaces. Oversized pivoting doors and windows connect indoor rooms to their outdoor counterparts, where voids created by the column landscape distinguish spaces and functions.
The wisteria and mustang vine covered trellis creates dappled shade. Its organic lines contrast the rigor of the man-made structure. Shadow and light add an ever-changing backdrop for family fun and entertaining.