By pulling apart the pool house into twin structures, architect Stephen Vanze created a rectilinear outdoor space within the odd angles of a pie-shaped suburban lot. The pool house protects the yard from the main road about 15 feet beyond and creates a pleasant end view to the long, narrow lot. The 6-by-10-foot buildings appear to be simply placed on top of the low stone wall that encloses the entire rear yard. Water flows over a pile of stones between and just behind the two little buildings. The sound of water masks noisy traffic and humming pool equipment. A pergola connecting the matching buildings casts shadow and light to the spa below and forges an architectural bond with the main house.
Builder: Horizon Builders, Crofton, Md.; Architect: Barnes Vanze Architects, Washington, D.C.; Landscape designer: Osamu Shimizu, Glen Echo, Md.; Pool contractor: Alpine Pool, Burke, Va.; Photographer: Hoachlander Davis Photography
