The renovation of an old farmhouse on a large estate also involved the transforming a nearby fire-damaged pool house into an elegant architectural “folly.” Just north of the farmhouse that stood the small structure that had been partially destroyed and subsequently repaired. This modest building stood in full view of the main house’s new living room, so its transformation into something worthy was self-evident.
The rejuvenated and enlarged pool house encloses the adjacent outdoor pool and adds a covered seating area and small kitchen. A dual orientation of the pool house toward the main house and the entry drive provides the living room with an interesting focus as well as giving the driveway with an end point. The covered seating, which faces the house, takes the form of a gazebo that is covered by a rising extension of the pool house roof. A new façade three feet from the building’s face is composed of a lattice screen that extends across the old structure’s windows and doors, allowing them to remain unchanged. A centered entry dormer and chimney lock the building squarely onto the axis of the drive, serving as a new focus at the end of an alley of trees.
Photography © Norman McGrath