This pool house was an addition to a barn / garage that sought to increase the use and function of the pool by adding a kitchen and living room space that directly connected to it. Future allowances for a bathroom with a large open shower for clean up after swimming and large additional storage spaces were also included.
The client came to us with initial plans that they wanted us to bid. Unfortunately, the cost of these initial plans ended up being over budget. We worked to value engineer the plans and in the course of the redesign, dramatically reconfigured the space to better fit the existing building and increase the function of the space.
The main goals of the design were to substantially reduce the cost of the initial plans, while seamlessly integrating the addition to the existing building and maximizing the function and use of the space.
In the process of modeling the new addition, it was found that a great way to integrate the new addition with the existing barn was by reflecting the gambrel roof profile of the barn in the end truss of the addition. This custom made truss was fabricated from steel and integrated into the existing framing and trim.
A focus was also placed on making the new space as open and connected to the outside pool area as possible. The main axis of the cathedral living room space was centered directly on the pool. Large casement windows were placed in the corners of the new addition allowing for expansive views and cross ventilation. Also, a large 4 pane sliding glass door was placed between the living room and exterior deck to help blur the lines between inside and outside.
One of the main factors in the layout of the addition was to work with the existing stone patio at the end of the pool. Leaving this patio virtually untouched avoided its costly demo and modification called for in the initial plans. It also allowed for increased outdoor space around the pool.
Other large cost savings were found in reworking the foundation. Instead of using a slab on grade construction for a large portion of the addition that required a substantial amount of fill and higher concrete walls, we reworked the plan to allow for an at grade basement that substantially reduced the amount of needed concrete while fully supporting the foundation walls via two bracing pilasters and a new angled geometry. This new foundation plan also had the added benefits of dramatically increasing the basement storage space and allowing easy access to the mechanicals.