Pool House built into a sloped site, with full height glazing and structural columns hidden within the facade framing to maximise views out to Long Island Sound.
AIA New England Honor Award 2018
Set into a subtle incline just before the land drops off to meet the beachfront, this pool house is almost invisible when approached from the main entrance of the estate. The only indication of what lies below is a series of glass skylights cut into the ground. The structure faces the Long Island Sound through full-height glass walls that bring daylight into the interiors and retract to give access to a terrace that is shaded by a brise-soleil.
Geothermal heating and cooling systems avert the need for chimneys or any other visible infrastructure. All vents, tracks and mechanicals are cleverly hidden to keep the form as crisp, clean and minimal as possible.
Eckersley O’Callaghan provided full-service consulting for the pool house’s sub-structure, superstructure and glazing. The deep retaining structures introduced large loads into the roof diaphragm, which created a challenge due to the long slot skylight and clerestory windows. This was overcome by using the roof slab as a deep beam to transfer the loads to either end of the building, avoiding the need for any heavy steel framing at the glazed areas. The entire roof is supported on 3” x 3” steel posts, which have been integrated into the facade framing to give the illusion of no columns. This required detailed checks to ensure that the minimal posts would not buckle.
